


Shifting Paradigms

by Calcasieu1959



Category: Black Jewels - Anne Bishop, Teen Wolf (TV), The Others - Anne Bishop
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other, Supernatural (TV) Cameos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:26:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28517859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calcasieu1959/pseuds/Calcasieu1959
Summary: This is a second go at Paradigm Shift. I'm starting a fresh.A story of what happens when a person's life 'encourages' them to look at life in a new way. Mainly after parts of it when to Hell and the person managed to claw their way back out.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	1. One of Those Days

Firesday Morning

It was one of those days.

Chris shoved both hands through his thick, I-need-a-haircut-soon, blondish hair and took a very deep breath and held it. And the raging snarl of frustration that wanted to come out as well. Good help was hard to find. He had scoffed when business people had used that excuse for piss-poor management. 

His scoffing had turned and bitten him on the ass. He was running out of ideas of whom and how he was going to get someone to help him with The Bookstore. He had tried Wolfgard help which had been anything but…helpful. Barely weaned pups didn’t whine as much. And over every single thing they were told or asked or he suggested that they do. 

It didn’t matter how he phrased it; they whined. Till he threw them out the door. Sometimes he even opened it. He worked his way through the most likely candidates. Then moved on to the easiest to intimidate or bribe. When he ran out of those, he went for desperate. 

He had hired Humans to work in the Bookstore. 

He had agreed, or so Peter had told the rest of the Business Association and representatives of the Courtyard, to Peter’s idea that the Humans should be allowed into the Courtyard to do business. 

Peter cited reason after reason until they just gave up to shut him up. Once he had them battered and badgered the Others into that thought he went for the throat. 

It would be a good idea to have Humans working in the businesses to help deal with the strangeness that was the not-too-bright children of Namid that called themselves…Human. 

Sometimes they were clever little monkeys. Most other times, they were slow and stupid and seemed to beg to be bitten. They were what they were. Deaf, blind, and slow to learn but prolific. The Others at this Beacon Courtyard had agreed to deal with them ‘up close and in person’. 

Chris had agreed that his Bookstore could be one of the test cases? Head cases? The second was more accurate. He had experienced Humans on both sides of the counter. He wasn’t sure what was worse. On the customer side, he couldn’t bite them. (So he had been snarled at repeatedly about.) They gave him money and then went away. 

As employees? Some of those he had been willing to GIVE money for them to go away. 

It had been a year since Peter had ‘convinced’ him to add his voice to Peter’s insane plan. 

Damn, he knew better. He KNEW better than to let Peter get him in a room alone to ‘discuss’ one of Peter’s great ideas. Peter had an amazing mouth on him in so many ways. 

That had been Chris’ mental defense for the reason his brain had taken a hike and somehow, when they were in the room with the rest of the Hales, he had agreed with Peter’s plan. 

That is what Peter had told them anyway and he had been too blissed out to say any different. Until it was too late. 

So here he stood. Frustrated and cranky. He had to leave. He had errands that had been put off much too long and were looming behind him about to take a chunk out of his already tender ass. If he didn’t show up at the Business Association meeting to fight for what he did and didn’t want to do, the other business owners would stick him with the tasks that they loathed. 

Very bitter experience had taught him to never turn his back on them and to go to every meeting to defend himself and what he would and would NOT be willing to do. He had to get to that damned meeting and, of course, the human had picked this morning to have some sort of melt-down for some strange reason. 

The latest Human he had hired… he didn’t even bother to learn their names unless they lasted more than two weeks. Sometimes not even then. Had left earlier that morning. Screaming and throwing things. He hadn’t been very clear about what had set him off. 

As to the Wolfgard that were supposedly available to help him? When the human wasn’t? HA! They had tucked tail and slunk out the door of the Café as everyone was paying attention to the running and screaming human. 

Melissa had bitched at him for days…days… the last time he had just thrown everyone out of the Bookstore and closed the doors because he had to go somewhere and he was tired of the whining from everyone he asked to stand at the register and take money. 

Even when Allison had been a two-year-old cubling, she hadn’t whined that much or hit those notes. 

Melissa had the Café. She had her Humans to deal with Humans. She had them trained. Mostly. The Magpies had lasted almost a year. He even knew their names. Maggie/Margie. He just didn’t know or care which was which. 

He should have never taken that Business Course with her. It had done something to Melissa’s brain. The Business Course from the Human school-place-that-thought-its-shit-didn’t-stink. She had turned… Peter had even commented that Melissa was getting rather intense about following the How To Run A Successful Business Handbook. When Peter started mentioning words like intense, psychotic and unbalanced, it was very bad and time to go and find an unoccupied cave. 

Which is exactly what he wanted to do but couldn’t. All because he had to go and be yammered at by the Hales and the other Business Association Members and he had no one to stand at the stupid cash register. He did it. It wasn’t difficult. 

It was the Business Style: Consider and over-think your plan. He had been using that all too often and he was now being plagued with his first ever headaches. He was done with the Business mindset. He was just going to Wolfguard the situation. 

A motion outside caught his eye. YES. He just spotted his victim. Volunteer. Melissa got all pissy about calling them victims. Melissa seriously needed some mind-blowing sex and very often and soon. 

At least she was the only cranky, opinionated female in his life right now. Well, except for his daughter. 

Marko entered the store. 

Chris took two seconds to feel both sorry for what he was about to do to and bad for the big, earth-toned Wolfgard shape-shifter. Then he struck.  
“Marko. Take care of the cash register. You have done it before. Do it again.”  
“But you got a Human. I saw him. Twitchy with glasses.”  
“He left.”  
Marko blinked. “Was he a screamer or a crier?”  
“This one did both as he ran out.” 

Marko sighed to have missed that show. His head came up. “I have a book. It came in. I want to read my book.” He looked around Chris into the Bookstore itself. “There are Humans in here.”  
“Take their money and you can have the book in exchange. Move. The Hales want to yammer at me. Again.”  
Marko lift-lipped. While Marko was contemplating the plague that was dealing with the Hales, Chris walked out the door. 

Marko stood there in shock for the few seconds it took Chris to be out the door and jogging away. He could hear the jaws of the trap called… Working With Humans … snap closed to bite into his ass. He was one of the best at hunting and tracking in the Courtyard. He was the one that they turned to when something or someone couldn’t be found. He had a reputation that he took great care of and pride in. 

And he had been lured in like a toddling cub to watch the stupid Humans from behind the cash register. If Chris did this to him one more time he would have to give up the right to call the Humans slow and stupid. 

With a sigh, he trudged over to the counter where the cash register was and sat on the stool. He was trapped until Chris came back. He should have come into the Bookstore in fur. Chris bitched about it but that was short term. This was going to be a long-term pain in the ass of being in skin and dealing with Humans. He should have stuck with fur-shape.

He was sulking. He glanced around the Bookstore and dared anyone to call him on it. He spotted something unmistakable. Flame-hair woman and the wounded cub. 

Behind them in the shadows, Marco could still see the massive black Security Wolf. He was watching the cubling. 

And Marko had an ‘idea’. Flame-hair had done the register before. She had more experience with the cash register than most of the Wolfgard and much more patience with the Humans. 

Several times this summer, he had been there when she had been pulled over and put behind the register. Chris evidently trusted her more than most Humans. She was very smart and well-behaved for a clever monkey. 

When Flame-hair got hauled behind the register protesting, it had been some of the best entertainment of ‘Dealing With Humans.’ 

There had been the time when Melissa had bodily hauled Chris off for a ‘Come to Mother Night’ talk about how he wasn’t allowed to lunge over the counter at the stupid Human customer who had pissed on him for the last time. 

Melissa saying that the Human was just being Human.  
Chris saying that the male had been challenging him. 

There had been thuds and snarls from the back as Melissa and Chris had the ‘Come to Mother Night’ snarl-fest. None of the Human customers had left. They peeked around the corner and huddled close to listen with their poor almost-deaf ears. They bought even more books as they waited to see who would come out from behind the gates and in what condition. 

Poor Flame-hair had been standing close when Chris had come over the counter toward the Human male. Melissa had been closer. To Chris. 

Melissa had looked at Flame-hair, before she had gotten a really good grip on Chris’ shirt, and snarled ‘watch the register’. Melissa got a grip on Chris’ hair and they kind of dance-lurched toward the back of the store and the other side of the security gates. 

Flame-hair had finally grown an almost Wolfgard attitude toward the ‘discussions’. She and the cubling didn’t crawl under the table and shiver in fear anymore. 

Flame-hair just sighed and moved around the counter and started picking up the things that hadn’t survived Chris’ vault over the counter. She straightened the papers. Picked up the books. And sat on the stool to wait for the ‘meeting’ to be over. 

Melissa had come back through once the snarling had died down and went back to her Café and her very many and sharp knives. 

Chris had not returned for a couple of hours.  
Flame-hair had quietly done the money-smile-chatter thing until Chris finished sulking. 

Then there was human-that-could-have-been-a-cow-bull that had worked at the Bookstore. He had lasted several weeks. The longest of all the humans that had thought it would be exciting/interesting/profitable to work in the Courtyard. There had been a chart in the kitchen behind the cash register with words that said why they came. Melissa had been doing a Survey-For-Success. 

Marko had just seen it and snorted. He had wanted something to drink since he had been stuck helping Chris unload a delivery truck. It hadn’t been his day then either. But it could have been worse. He could have been stuck up front with the Humans. He was coming to the Bookstore in fur from now on. He did not want to do the cash register. The Humans didn’t seem to want to do the cash register. 

Marko coughed to get the bad taste of the words: Human thinking. At least they didn’t seem to engage in that useless action…often. They tended more to the: ‘Run Around Blindly’ school of thought. 

They believed that they wanted to work in the Courtyard and at the Bookstore but they didn’t stay. Not when the reality of is started to sink it’s sharp fangs into their bland and biased version of: How The World Works. 

Marko didn’t count it as success if they came but didn’t stay behind the register. That just meant that Chris was even more cranky. 

There had been hopes and betting that bull-man would last. The Courtyard had been open to Humans for several months and Chris had gone through a number of Human employees already. The buying Humans were just getting comfortable coming to the Bookstore. 

Bull-Man had arrived and Chris thought that he would be tolerable. For a Human. The longer that Chris and Bull-Man were in the same room the more the irritation with each other grew. Until it exploded one afternoon. 

Marko hadn’t bet on how long this one would stay so he just watched the show. 

When it started up, Melissa had taken Flame-hair by the hand and led her to the register while Chris and Bull-man snarled, bellowed and screamed at each other. Both had been in very good voice and could be clearly heard for a distance. It had been good entertainment. No blood though. 

Flame-hair was feisty. She had a good punch for a small, human woman. Of course, to be fair, Chris had been distracted. It would have been doubtful that her punch to the stomach would have brought him to his knees if Melissa hadn’t been beating on him from the other side. 

He had grabbed Flame-hair to stick her behind the cash register as he ‘dealt’ with Bull-Man. He had forgotten he was dealing with a Human instead of a Wolfgard. He just took her by the shoulders to move her and stuff her behind the register like he would a Wolfgard female. She reacted almost like a ‘Gard female. 

Marko had been impressed. 

Melissa had come over when the voices had gotten loud. She had been ‘helping’ Chris run his business since hers was doing so well. 

Chris had grabbed Flame-hair and Melissa had belted Chris. She had been snarling something about ‘manners’ as she had been wacking on him. 

Flame-hair had been scared/startled and had punched Chris in the stomach. He had gone down with a wheeze and poor Flame-hair had been upset. 

Melissa had taken Flame-hair’s hand and led her to the register. Then went back to deal with Chris. 

That led to more snarling on Melissa’s part about taking the Sensitivity Training Course with her. Don’t grab the humans. She waved the section of the How-To-Run-A-Successful-Business-Handbook in Chris’ face.

Chris had ripped it out of her hand, threw it in a solid trashcan and pissed on it. (He heard that later Chris had paid for her to get the Revised and Expanded version.) 

Melissa had left to go back to her Café with her many and sharp implements and Chris had turned to deal with Bull-Man. Who had proved he wasn’t very bright by not leaving while Chris’ back was turned. 

Flame-hair had just sat on the stool behind the register and put her elbows on the counter to watch. She had actually been pretty calm at that point. Maybe hitting Chris had done her some good. 

She had looked over to make sure that the Security Wolf was near and guarding her cub. Of course he was. The wounded cubling had been pretty much adopted by the Security Wolf and his sibling. Not that Flame-hair or the Cubling had quite figured it out. 

The massive black Wolfgard had been working on her training for some months now. He would raise his paw and she would go pee. She could do other tricks as well. 

Marko sort of wanted a human of his own. But then he thought of how much trouble they would be and get into. Flame-hair was a good and smart female. Maybe there was some Other ‘in the woodpile’. She was too clever to just be Human. 

Speaking of Humans. Here came the Humans to put books on the counter. Marko had NOT done the smile-money-chatter ‘workshop’ Melissa had given. He hadn’t been trapped into that. Yet. He had been behind the cash register but he had just stood there while Chris had run a short errand. He needed to go and get Flame-hair. He was not doing the cash register if she was here. 

Marko walked over and stood close but not threat close. “The Humans want to give money for books.”  
Flame-hair looked at him.  
Marko sighed. She was usually quicker than this. “Money-smile with teeth-chatter-money?”  
“Okaay.”  
She still wasn’t understanding. She must be having a Human moment.  
Marko offered her his hand. “Register.” And ‘the lights came on’ as he heard one Human say. 

“Oh. You need me to help? Of course. I can do that.” She looked over at Alex. Who pointed to the massive black-furred Wolf draped on the beanbag across from him. Who looked back at her and raised a paw. “Let me stop at the bathroom first and I’ll be right there. I’ve had several glasses of tea.” 

Marko trailed behind her toward the register. He spotted the book he had ordered and the one that been written after it that was in the same stack. He picked up the two books, sat on the stool behind the counter and started to read. 

Flame-hair had the cash register. His part was done. He would just sit here in case she needed him to snarl at someone. She sucked at it. When Chris came back he would leave and take his two books with him for being behind the register. It wasn’t all that bad. As long as you could stick Flame-hair in front of you.

♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥

Brigid sighed. She was cashiering. Again. It seemed like she was being pulled behind the register more and more lately the last three or four months. Especially since she didn’t even technically work at the Bookstore. Chris would come and get her and either wave her behind the register or he got physical. She was actually getting comfortable with that. He never hurt her. He was honestly pretty gentle. Just very quick and strong. He had never tried to pick her up again to move her.

She had felt so very bad. She hadn’t expected him to pick her up. She was thinking that the arm-around-the-chest-semi-lift-and-walk was his way of getting anyone to move from point A to point B. When her feet had started to leave the ground she had panicked. She had clobbered him with the book that she had in her hand. He put her down. Head wounds bled. Profusely. She had caught him with the edge of the book. 

Melissa had laughed at him. 

There had been dead silence when Brigid had thrown the book at Melissa and hit her. “It’s not funny that he got hurt. Shut up and get behind the damn register until I get the bleeding stopped.” Brigid had been pissed. Melissa had quietly gone behind the register and stood meekly. 

Brigid and Alex had gotten the bleeding stopped and his head bandaged. Chris had gone to the back of the Bookstore to the lair he had there for the rest of the day. Granted it had only been three hours and Brigid had the feeling he was milking it for the sympathy and to get out of dealing with the Wolfgard and Humans but she could see his point. It just hadn’t been his day and why deal with it anymore if you didn’t have to? 

At least this time there was no snarling, screaming or trying to draw blood going on in the background. 

It had freaked her out the first time it had happened. The Wolfgard snarling and drawing blood on each other when they disagreed. 

When Alex and she had first started coming to the Courtyard, it had been to escape the screaming and fighting at ‘home’. 

When the volume and potential for violence had exploded in The Bookstore, Alex had gone under the table and she had been half a second from joining him. Except for the little fact that there was the large Wolf under there with him crouched in front of him protectively. She had settled for moving in behind the Wolf until the snapping and snarling parties parted ways. A long, low growl from the black Wolf had expedited matters greatly. 

Months had passed and they had gotten used to the Wolfgard way of dealing with annoyances. Snaps, snarls and very loud ‘discussions’. 

A movement in front of her brought Brigid’s attention back to the present. She smiled at the young man that had been willing to be the first to deal with the shaper-shifter before it had been dumped in her lap. It was always an adventure shopping in the Courtyard. Sometimes not even shopping but just being in a Courtyard with the Others. They certainly had their own and unique way of doing things. 

The young man came back and put his books back on the counter. He had picked up a second book while he had been waiting. "Oh this is the third of her Dark Jewels series. I didn't know that it had come out yet. I am sure that you will enjoy it. Anne Bishop has always been one of my favorite authors. Did you find everything that you were looking for?"

He looked at the book. "It's a series? This is the third one? I thought it was the first. Do you have the first two?" 

"Just a moment and I'll check." Before Brigid could move, one of the Human customers hurried over to that section calling out. "I know where they are. I’ll get it. You just stay there!" She quickly found the section and the books, grabbed them and approached the counter on Brigid's side keeping Brigid between her and the large Wolfguard. "Here." She handed them to the young man. He started to look at the back but a grumble from the Wolfgard made him just place them on the stack. "I'll just take them all. Thank you for pointing that out." 

Brigid totaled up his purchases, told him the amount. He gave her money. She gave him change. Put his books in a bag. He took the bag and hastily moved out of range. 

The next person in line looked at Brigid. 

Brigid looked at the Wolfgard. “Quite simple really. Any questions?”

The muscular male looked up from his book and did that lip-lift thing they did so well. “I am only here to stay behind the register with you and snarl at the customers when you need it. Your snarl sucks.” 

Brigid and the customer looked at each other. Brigid’s face reflecting resignation and the customer amusement and relief. 

"I guess I am checking until Chris comes back or the evening cashier shows up. Fine." She would swear that there was a sigh of relief from everyone in the Bookstore. Hers was more like a sigh of resignation. 

She could hear the male shifter muttering under his breath. "Put in numbers and add them up. Tell the amount. Humans give her money. Put the money number in. Give them back money. Chatter at them while she puts in the numbers. They chatter back at her. Smile with teeth and happy noises. So stupid." The Wolfgard shook his head and went back to reading. 

Brigid checked for about an hour straight. Alex was occupied with his drawing at a child’s table in the sun where she could see him. The Security Wolf was near-by as usual. No one would bother her son. Human or Other. She would glance over from time to time to check on him. 

Alex had gotten comfortable with his Security Blanket Wolf after the amount of time that they spent here. He was comfortable here but part of them were still on edge. She could feel it in herself and see it in his body language. It had been a very rough evening last night. If she had anywhere to go she would have crept out in the dead of night and left. It had been just too nasty to sleep in the car. 

His head was now on the table pillowed on his arms. He looked like he was asleep. That was good. It was getting busy. And when the hell was an actual store employee going to show up? The Others had a somewhat different ideas of how business should be run. This was verging in insane. 

Melissa brought her a warm, spicy drink. To go with the two glasses of tea that she had already had as she was at the cash register. Sometimes it seemed like they thought she was on the verge of dehydration. "You are doing great. Chris will be back eventually to take over." 

Brigid looked at her in dismay. "You do realize that I'm not an employee. I know that both you and he have put me behind the register before and I don’t mind really. But… it would be nice to have some idea of a time frame? He will be back eventually? Isn't there someone else that it actually scheduled to, you know, like WORK here? There was that guy with the glasses. When is he scheduled to come in?"

Melissa winced. “I doubt that Chris will be much longer.” And then she turned around and freaking left. Brigid wondered when she had entered some alternate reality and why it hadn't come with a warning sticker. 

“Okay, that’s it. What is going on? Where is the guy with the glasses and when is his shift supposed to start.” Brigid was getting frustrated. She nailed the Wolfgard with a firm look.  
“He’s Human. He can’t shift.”  
“Get your face out of that book and look at me. We are about to have a conversation.” 

The Wolfgard closed his book and slid to the other side of the stool then slightly further away. Out of Other lunging distance. “A ‘Come to Mother Night’ conversation? But I’ve been good! I have been sitting here quietly reading while you do the register. If I haven’t snarled at anyone it was because you THUMPED MY EAR for doing it. That HURT.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thumped your ear. I’m sorry I hurt you.” It was all that Brigid could do not to roll her eyes. Seriously? Whining about her flicking his ear when that rumbling snarl had rolled like thunder inside the Bookstore? He filled the doorway when he stood in it. He wasn’t only tall he was wide. 

She had only thumped his ear before his snarling had made the couple either pee the floor, have heart failure or both. They got the credit card situation sorted. Sometimes it DID take sixteen repetitions before some people caught on to the fact that the Bookstore was cash only. 

She took a deep breath and reached for her patience. She had a small child. She could do this. “Where is the guy with the glasses? Chris is gone. He should be here to work. Where is he?”

“He quit this morning. I heard about it when you were peeing. He was screaming too high for anyone to really understand his words. He was crying too. He threw things at Chris and ran out the door. That usually means ‘fuck you I quit’ in Human. He’s not coming back.” 

Well crap. That did it. Her bladder was now screaming. "Excuse me. I'll be back in a moment. I need a bathroom break." It went against all of her long ago training to just announce that to the store in general. But it didn't seem that she was going to get the chance to go to the bathroom any other way. And she was a hair away from doing the pee-pee dance. That and she needed to get a good grip on her…something. Either sense of humor or sanity. Sense of humor would actually be the best thing to use.

She turned to the Wolfgard. "I will be back. You can check them out while I am gone. Or all of you can wait till I get back." 

The shifter looked at the line. "They will wait. We are used to you having to pee a lot." 

Brigid looked at the ear she hadn’t flicked for that comment and decided that he was too far away and moved too quickly for her to get in a good thump. Might as well just give up and go pee. Again. "I won't be long." 

She walked quickly to the bathroom, took care of business, washed her hands and looked at herself in the mirror. "How the hell did I get into this? Why me? Of all the people in the store, Human and Other alike, why is it they pick on ME? Oh quit whining. He pays you. Very well for very little effort on your part. I really need to ask the man for a job. And a place to live. And by the way, can my son sleep under the table while I work and your Wolf babysit him? Wouldn’t that be the most interesting job interview ever.” 

She shrugged and went back to finish checking out the line of people that had put several feet between them and the counter. Until she walked back up. The shifter moved the stool firmly back as far away from the counter as he could get and sat back down with a scowl. With an air of one gravely put upon, he opened his book back up and started reading. 

Brigid glanced over at Alex once again. He was now curled on the floor on his side. Still sleeping. She was grateful for several reasons. It made it less boring for him to be here if he could get some sleep. It also meant that he was finally relaxing. Getting over the crap-fest that their home life had turned into lately. 

Last night the fighting had been vicious. Between her husband and his mistress. Between her husband and his father. The mistress and everyone. 

They could hear the screaming and shouting. It had briefly flickered through her mind that it was ironic that they had both found the Human to Human fighting more upsetting and frightening than when two Wolfgard would get into a disagreement. Those had actually drawn blood from time to time. 

The fighting at the mansion had continued well into dawn. Neither of them had gotten much sleep. They had crept out as soon as they could. They had taken a brief nap in the car once they had managed breakfast. 

She was fine for awhile longer. It was telling on her but she could manage. It had been a very long time since she had stood in one place this long. She usually was stuck behind the register as Chris dealt with something for two or three hours at the most. She was getting about anxious about what they were going to do tonight. 

The Security Wolf was now laying close enough to her son that they were touching. The sun had gone behind the clouds that were gathering. The temperature was dropping. Last night had been nasty. It was one of the reasons that they had stayed inside and not found somewhere else to be. Tonight was looking like it could and would be even worse. She may have to change it several times but she liked having a plan. Or at least the illusion of one. 

The bell over the door jingled. It was now automatic. "Welcome to The Bookstore." She looked up. 

The male that had just entered was solid in so many ways. Golden hair and skin. Icy blue eyes. Chris had finally shown up. Oh rapture. Oh joy. Maybe. Oh yeah maybe, she could finally stop checking. The Humans made room for him to pass through. He was one of those people that did NOT get less intimidating once you got to know him. You just found out that you were right in your first thought that pissing him off wasn’t a healthy life choice. 

The Wolfgard was off the stool clutching his books and by Chris’ side in seconds. Inhuman speed. They had a brief very intense discussion. About her. The Wolfgard was pointing to her and nodding and then held up three fingers. Chris looked thoughtful. What? He was tattling on her? He better be bragging on her. 

Evidently Chris agreed to finger number one which made the Wolfgard very happy. Finger number two seemed to involve more discussion. Chris pointed to Melissa. Wolfgard was not happy to go talk to her. Finger number three had them looking at Alex and the Security Wolf. That got a shrug from both of them. As Chris was looking at Alex, the Wolfgard slid out the door. Payback wasn’t always a female bitch. 

Wow, was that ever a pissed look on Chris’ face. He nodded at her and then went to the Café. Evidently he was going to be the Wolfgard that got the thrill of discussing something with Melissa. 

He wasn’t over there long. Melissa’s gleeful cackling followed him back into the Bookstore. 

Brigid expected him to come over and take over the register.

He glanced over at her son but didn't approach. 

She had watched them have an ‘interesting’ discussion the other day about how many books Alex had written and what supplies he had left and what he needed. Alex was still too inhibited to speak in public with the way his voice sounded with the damage from the accident. Chris was learning some sign but it was still rather marginal. 

It was the monthly inspection of Alex’s ‘supply box’. Chris had provided a water-tight container for the unused Primary Composition books and the extra color pencils. Alex would use his pencils until they barely fit in his hand. Alex was determined to get all the use out of his supplies that he could. 

It rather frustrated Chris. Somehow, at some point, they had worked out a compromise. If the coloring pencil was shorter than from the tip of Chris’ finger to the second joint on his index finger then they would go in the decoration jar along with broken crayons and other odds and ends. It was an arrangement that satisfied them both. The jar was a pretty and ‘useful’ way to take care of the situation. 

Alex had three books to go before he reached the ‘order form’ which was a very bright piece of cardstock that had ‘Alex’s Book Order’ on it. When he reached that reminder he would take it to Chris. 

Brigid had seen Chris stop what he was doing, get Alex’s file and place the order. Alex didn’t tend to interrupt Chris when he was with a customer. Not after the first time Chris had made the Wolfgard wait while he took care of Alex’s book order. 

Chris made a note of it on the order form and put it in the file, marked on the calendar when the order should arrive. Alex made sure that he came to the Bookstore that day and picked up his delivery. He had the exact amount in an envelope which he gravely gave Chris. They unpacked and inspected the order when it came in and refilled Alex’s Supply Box putting the re-order form the proper number of books from the bottom. Which had to be taken out and placed on the top because Alex needed to rotate his stock. 

It had made Brigid shake her head. Chris was temperamental. Dangerous. Had a vocabulary that defied imagination in the most profane way when he was pissed. Definitely had a very short fuse with what he considered idiots which was a large part of the population. Had a vicious streak when provoked. 

And he was about the best father figure to Alex that she could have ever dreamed up. Patient. Caring. Affectionate. Firm. Consistent. Sometimes she thought that she had made her choice in males on the wrong side of the Courtyard opening. 

Chris went to another section and began to fill orders from the new books that had come in. Evidently she was still checking. What was this? The job everyone hated? It wasn't that freaking hard. 

The weather grew worse and the last of the customers went out the door. 

Chris walked over and flipped the sign to Closed. 

The sun flickered very briefly through the clouds. He was highlighted briefly and she felt the faint ghosting of attraction for him that always startled her. 

She had thought he was really good looking when she had first started coming to The Bookstore. Who wouldn’t? Blond hair, intense blue eyes, chiseled good looks. Amazing body. And so much more intensely male than she would ever be comfortable with. There was also a dark sexuality that surfaced from time to time. Usually when there were no other Humans in the Bookstore and it was just the various Others. When Chris didn’t bother with even the marginal usual pretense. There was something that had her feminine nature sitting up and taking notice. 

That was the part that she really needed to keep in mind and slap her hormones back into dormancy. If she couldn’t keep a human interested, satisfied and from straying what hope did she even have of getting and keeping the attention of a Wolfgard? What sane female would even want his attention? She had already used up her stupid quota on males for the rest of her life and had the scars to prove it. 

She took a deep breath and stood her ground as he walked over. Her nerves were frayed and tattered. She had been proud of the progress she had made. The last month had just… The yelling. Fighting. Underlying threat of violence. It has sucked the confidence and security that she had managed to drag up and together and made her feel… Afraid. She was tired of feeling afraid. The skittering nerves that made her neck and shoulders ache and her gut churn. She had tried to protect Alex from the worst of it but she could see how it was taking a toll on him as well. 

They needed out. They needed a place to go that was safe. If she could just manage to find one. The Bookstore was as close as they got to a haven. She looked at the male that owned the Bookstore and reminded herself that she was safe. She didn’t plan on doing anything stupid. 

It didn’t take much for her to start to get nervous when he was in close proximity. Even if she knew she had no reason to fear him. He didn’t strike without warning or provocation like the males in her life outside the Courtyard. 

He had always been kind to them. In his own unique way. The Bookstore had become their sanctuary. They spent a good part of their day here on most days. More in the cold season than the warm season when Brigid liked to get outside and remember what it was like to be alive. In the Cold Season, it was the place that they came and hid away from ‘out there’ and all of the crap that it contained relating to Family. 

He had been kind. For a Wolfgard. For an Other. 

He wasn’t Human. Those flashes of the sheer scope of that fact still startled her. He had never truly scared or terrorized her like some of her own kind had done in the past. That didn’t mean that most of the time he didn’t make her nervous as hell. Men made her cautious. Her experiences in the Human world had taught her to be less than trusting. 

But sometimes. After almost a year, this Wolfgard male was making her think that maybe some males could be trustworthy. She no longer flinched quite so bad when he reached toward her. She stopped backing up till she ran into something when he moved into her space. She had even gotten ‘comfortable’ with him in her space. As long as he sat on something so they were closer to the same height and she had a better chance of getting out of reach. There had even been a handful of times when she had really wanted to move toward him instead of away. 

The kind of days that had led Alex into draping himself over the Security Wolf and quietly crying into dark fur. Chris had given Alex one of the teas-from-next-door-that-solved-everything and held him as Alex drank. Settled the boy next to the Security Wolf on the nap-pad near the Children’s section and left him guarded by four legs and fangs. 

Melissa generally brought her tea on those days as well. Melissa always brought her tea so it wasn’t special and didn’t that make her sound like an ungrateful bitch? Sometimes she just wanted to be held and put on a nap-pad and covered up and told that everything would be fine when she woke up. Days when life was just more than she had ever bargained for or felt like she could handle. No pity party. 

Back to the Wolfgard in front of her. 

Christopher. She trusted him as much as she did any living male. Still. Up close and personal with him and she always wanted to check and make sure that her antiperspirant wasn’t failing. 

He pulled the till total from the register and put it on the counter. He handed her a piece of paper and a pen. 

She counted down the drawer and added it up. She was a couple of coins over. He grunted and handed her a bag. "$100.00" 

"Excuse me?"

"It starts out with $100.00." 

Brigid used the calculator to figure out the deposit. She kept all of the change and the small bills. It was coming back to her all too quickly. The joys of working retail. It stuck with you forever no matter where you went or what you did after. 

"You and the boy go next door to eat. Come back when you are done." He took the deposit and walked off. 

Okay, this was different. She had never stayed here this late. Well, not semi-working here staying late. She and Alex had hidden out here till the last call howl a number of times when things at the Mansion had been really bad. 

The weather she had been watching outside was getting less and less like something she wanted any part of. It was starting to rain and the temperature was dropping. It was going to be wet and miserable or icy and miserable. There was no way they would go to one of their spots she had staked out and sleep in the car tonight. She needed another plan. A better plan. 

He paid in cash. That was the way the Others in the Courtyard did business. Deal with it or go away. 

She thought of what she had tucked away. She had been pulling out small amounts for some time and had a good amount of ‘ohshit’ money. She knew of a Bed and Breakfast where she and Alex could spend the night. They had stayed there before. It wasn’t that far from the Courtyard entrance. The woman that owned and managed the place…was discrete. She had looked at Brigid and Alex the first time they had appeared in front of her desk and had never asked any questions. No names. Cash for keys. 

Brigid didn’t want to use her credit card and give anyone an idea of where she and Alex stayed when they didn’t go back ‘home’. She had so very few bolt-holes. The Bed & Breakfast was the most comfortable. She didn’t want to lose it. She just could not face going back after last night. She just couldn’t handle one more scream-fest from her family. The tension and violence were escalating. It worried and scared the shit out of her if she allowed herself to be honest. She was afraid one of these days or nights that it was going to boil over and cascade all over the two of them. It was going to be very painful and very, very ugly and she wanted to put it off for as long as possible. 

She took a deep breath to settle her nerves as much as they were going to and went over to check on her young, vulnerable son who was depending on her to be strong and take care of him. 

The wolf moved so she could wake up Alex. He was warm when she touched him gently to wake him. Evidently large black wolves made excellent insulation from the weather. Imagine that. 

They gathered up their things and walked through the archway to the attached cafe. She ordered soup and a sandwich plus a drink for both of them. When she reached for her purse the cashier shook her head. "You worked. You eat."

At this point, Brigid wasn't about to argue. Five hours straight was more than a good enough trade for a meal.

She and Alex sat and began to eat. Part of her was beginning to relax. She was safe here. The Family wouldn’t deign to enter a Courtyard. They were afraid. So many of them were bullies and didn’t like their faces shoved into the fact that they were far from the top of the food-chain/pecking order. The people that they surrounded themselves with felt the same way. Besides, in the Courtyard, Human Law Does Not Apply. That was another thing that would keep them far, far away. 

They were safe, oh the irony of that, in the Courtyard. Her neck and shoulders were beginning to relax.  
She had enough cash on her that she wouldn’t have to go back to the mansion even before he paid her for tonight. It was the off season for the Bed and Breakfast anyway. They might even manage a couple of nights before they had to go back. A period of grace until someone hounded them with phone calls and started trying to hunt them down. 

The two girls that worked at the Café had brought over their food to eat with her and Alex. They had been friendly enough in their own way. It was like they didn’t want to deal with anyone more than required by their jobs. Not even the Humans. 

That was fine, Brigid preferred the Bookstore to the Café for a number of reasons. Not all of them could be put into words. 

She watched the huddle next door.

The Security Wolf shifted into skin, walked over to the small room behind the counter and then came back a few moments later wearing clothes. 

This was the first time that she had ever seen him shift to skin. He was a walking heart attack. Golden brown hair and skin. A body that was just. Wow. Brigid patted her mouth with her napkin and took a drink of her nice cold water. There were parts of her that were very warm now. 

The two girls looked at each other. "I think my ovaries just melted." 

"Sam." The owner greeted the golden young Wolfgard.

"Chris." 

And now Brigid knew his name. Sam the Security Wolf. She could see the faint smile on her son’s face. That was going to be a whole book now that he had a name for ‘Wolfie’ that they were both willing to say in public. They made sure that they only referred to his drawing buddy as “Wolfie” when they were alone. Considering what she had learned of Other hearing that didn’t mean that you were alone in the room. It meant that you were alone in the building with some sort of noisemaking device going. 

She watched as Others drifted in. She was surprised that she knew them. 

Pretty Wolf-boy. The sometimes bane of her existence and the person she owed..more than she could ever repay for what she knew he had done. What she suspected he had done…He was not someone to cross in any form. 

He was greeted as "Dean." Another name. That could be used in public. Brigid studied him as she ate. He was usually either behind her or moving. It didn’t make for good opportunities to just look at him and know what he looked like. She knew his touch and his scent and that sudden realization make her brain kind of grind to a halt for a few heartbeats. She realized that she knew when he was behind them and hadn’t been afraid or even wary. That was incredible and when and how had he managed that? 

She studied him while she had the chance and his focus was somewhere else. Sort of. He threw a smirk her way then went back to paying attention to Chris. 

She could see why he had the snarl. There was good-looking. There was pretty. Then there was ‘oh fuck me now’ gorgeous. He fell firmly in the latter category. She had better stick with calling him Dean or she could really get herself in trouble. 

He was so pretty though. And he was as dangerous as he was pretty which was very. She really needed to keep that firmly in mind. She also needed to look at a calendar. Her hormones were certainly awake today. She wondered where she was on her cycle? 

The thought flickered through her mind that she could probably just make it a general question to the Bookstore and they would be able to tell her and wouldn’t that just be about the most….well, not going there thing ever to do. Stupid. Just stick with the word stupid idea and leave it at that. 

Melissa came over. “The weather is bad. Very bad now and not going to get any better. You will stay here. Do not leave when my back is turned. You will eat and then you will wait till I come back with a plan for tonight.” She nailed both girls with an Alpha-Mom-Wolf look. 

They both gulped and nodded. 

“Good.” She turned her attention to Brigid and Alex. “The two of you will wait as well. We are making plans for you also. Eat and wait for me to come back.” 

“Eat and wait. Got it. More than happy to. Thanks for the meal.” Brigid spoke up quickly and Alex nodded vigorously. 

Melissa made an odd satisfied kind of noise then glided over to join the huddle at the Bookstore. 

"I guess they will come and tell us what they decide when they are done. Hi, I'm Maggie and this is Margie. I don’t think that we have ever really met each other. Not where it would actually have us knowing anything about each other. So. Tell us your side of what happened today. We were busy and didn't get the chance to really get the scoop on what was happening over there." 

Brigid leaned back and started filling in the details of her most interesting day.


	2. The Job Nobody Wanted

Firesday Evening

In the group around the table in the rarely used kitchen of the Bookstore, Sam started out. “She has been coming here since the Courtyard opened. We know her. If you want to be honest about it, you trust her. More than you do any other Human and more than some of our own. You have talked about wanting to hire her before. You have just never approached her.”

Chris shook his head in bemusement. Humans visited the Courtyard for thrills. They didn’t want to come and live there. Usually. “I didn’t know for sure that she would be willing to accept a job till Marko heard her talking to herself. She wants to work here. Have a place to live and someone to watch the boy. Melissa looked at the upstairs apartment that no one uses and says it will do.”

Melissa nodded and smacked Dean’s hand as he reached for Sam’s TinyPie. “You have your own. Leave his food alone. You fixed your own plate and brought it over here. Finish what is in front of you and if you are still hungry THEN you can go back and get more.” She glared at him till he grudgingly shifted his gaze back to his over-flowing plate. 

Melissa sighed and turned her attention toward the Others eating at the table. “She is more than just a good worker. She is fast and accurate at the register. She has been stuck behind the counter to deal with the customers before but never for this length of time. I think she is capable of even more than we realize. I had Maggie take a break and go buy a book and then come back and give me an opinion. Not just of Brigid but how the Bookstore was doing with her being in charge. The answer was amazingly well. 

“Maggie thinks that she has a good deal of business experience on a number of levels. She is very familiar with the workings of a bookstore. And the business of selling. She makes suggestions for books and other items. She mentioned that the weather was getting bad. ‘They sell warm drinks next door and pastries.’ She mentioned that and the Humans started coming over to eat after they got their books. My girls started suggesting that the Bookstore was a wonderful place to spend some time out of the weather. They had a good selection.” 

Sam picked the critique back up. “She got the name and phone number of people that wanted a book that currently couldn't be found at the store. No, she didn't know how this store ordered books. She was temporary help. The Humans were fine with that. They made noises like they wanted her to stay.

“They were very happy to deal with her. Damn happy. More than anyone else either Human or Wolfgard that has been at the register and yes I’m including you Christopher. She is confident and calm. It makes them calm too. They do better with her than they do anyone else that you have ever hired. She’s better at it than you are and you know it." 

Dean was his usual blunt self. "No one likes the cash register. You don't want to do it all day long. You don’t have anyone since Twitchy ran out screaming and crying this morning. Bull-man lasted the longest. They just don’t belong here. She belongs. She has been coming for a year. Hire her.

“You need someone to do it when you have other things to do. You have tried Wolfgard. You have tried Humans. Since the Hales broke your brain and you agreed with Peter of all people. I think the Humans would work out better if you get some like Melissa's Humans. Tolerant if not fully accepting of Others.

“Brigid is more like that than some that have thought they wanted to work here. They thought it would be exciting to be around the Others. They didn't do well or stay long. She, on the other paw, keeps coming back for more. She doesn’t just tolerate us or view us as excitement/amusement/danger. She seems to like us despite her better judgment."

Chris growled at the thought of some of the past Humans. “They were not-very-clever-monkeys. I think she has Other in her ‘woodpile’. She is smart and much better than some of those…” the last ‘word’ tapered off into a low rumbling growl. 

He was just proud that he hadn't eaten any of them. But that was only because Melissa had pointed out how much paperwork there would be for eating an actual employee. He loathed paperwork even more than he deeply disliked some Humans. 

He gave them his perspective. "She is the best of them that I have seen. Not just that we have gotten to work for us but the best overall. The Magpies are still suspicious of us after all this time. She is wary but that has nothing to do with the fact that we are Other and everything to do with something in her den has been fouled. Or several someone’s are shitting on everything. 

“She knows what she is doing in a bookstore. She is GOOD with Humans. Not all Humans are good with their own kind much less adding in the Others. And on that thought we might have to work with her about smile with teeth when it comes to the Others." 

Sam grunted. "I think not. We may just have to get used to it from the Humans. It's just one of those stupid, weird things they do." 

Chris nodded. "Point. It is why we decided to allow the Humans in the Courtyards. To get used to those strange things they did. To learn to co-exist."

Sam added in more information. "I was watching her. How she acted at the register and ‘alone’ as far as she knew. The store was very busy today. Much busier than on average. I have no idea where some of those Humans came from and why they decided to come to the Bookstore. You can never tell with them.

“But anyway, she had all those people in her face. They got up close to her. Packmate touching close. She didn't get upset. She didn't snarl. Smile. Smile. Chatter. Chatter. Always friendly. Always helpful. I CAN see and I DID see how it worked well on the Humans and brought in money. 

“The few Others that came through were fine with her and her being weird-human. They tolerate to like her. Sometimes they like her despite themselves. She has grown on them. Toward the end she began to have a different style for the Others than she used for the Humans. She went from one to the other easily and it didn't seem...forced. I don't know if it is a Brigid thing or it can be taught and learned. I can certainly see how it would be the way for the cash register person to act." 

Melissa spoke up. "If you don't want her then I want her for the Cafe'. She is better at the Bookstore for selling books but she could sell food also. My business picked up as Brigid started pointing out how nice warm drinks and food were on a cold day. She is a Human that understands business like human's do it. There are parts of this business thing that...we need to learn or at the least know about." 

Chris leaned back with eyes wide. “You mean that there are some things that aren’t in your Handbook?”

Melissa snarled. “No they are not in my Revised and Expanded version that you so kindly bought for me after you pissed on my first edition. My signed first edition Christopher.” 

Melissa looked at Chris and pointed out some things. "There is a small room behind the counter where the boy could stay while Brigid works. She seems to be afraid for him to be out of her sight. Sam is right. She isn't afraid of the Others. Not just them being around her and the cub. Respectful yes but not afraid. 

“She came in smelling tired and afraid. It was what she brought with her from the world outside the Courtyard. She has a child but I don't smell mate on her. I don't think that I ever have. The boy-child doesn't have the smell of adult male on him either." 

She looked at Sam who tended to be closer to them than anyone else on a regular basis. If there was any information to be sniffed out he would have already done so. He just tended to keep things to himself unless asked and sometimes confronted directly about what he knew and/or thought about something. 

Sam shook his head. "No. I don't think that I have ever scented mate or male on them. The boy smelled tired, fear, sad today. He curled under the table. Like a cub looking for the safety of a den." 

It was a well know fact that Melissa had lost her first mate. He had been killed saving their son. The second male she had taken up with.... her mind had been clouded by loneliness and pain. He had been jealous of Scott and had tried to do something about someone he saw as competition. Getting rid of it. She very quickly rectified that mistake. Permanently. 

Those life experiences ensured that she was very sympathetic to a woman alone with a small child. It was wonderful that taking Brigid in was also good business, since it was obvious she was going to do so regardless. So it didn't surprise anyone when she nailed Chris with a look. "She came to your place first. Do you claim her? If not them I am claiming her." 

“I saw her first. She came to my store first. She helps me the most. She likes me best. I get her.”  
“She helps you the most because you need the most help Christopher.”   
“Oh bite me.”  
“Bend over.” 

“Back to being adults now. She will work for Chris. She can stay in the upstairs apartment that Melissa picked out for her.” Sam seemed to be getting twitchy about dealing with them in skin and not fur where he had the teeth to bite them quicker and easier. 

Chris pointed out. “I picked out the apartment. It’s over the Bookstore not the Café because she is mine. And if anyone else rolls their eyes at me I’m going to smack them right out of your head.”

Melissa leaned back and rolled her eyes at him. Sam and Dean grabbed his jeans and kept him from going over the table after her. “Yes. Yes. Christopher. As I was saying. She will stay in the apartment that no one uses. If she and the cub are safe, they will stay. I think that is what she has wanted for some time but we aren’t good at reading Humans. She is not happy at the place outside where she and the cub go. They smell afraid.” 

Sam spoke up. "She is Second material. Your Second needs to have lots of patience.”  
Chris muttered. “I wonder why?”

Sam smacked him and continued. “She will step in and up when there was no leader. That is a valuable thing. She did her best today to make sure she followed the rules that the leader set to the best of her knowledge. It is very good to have a Human that can be a strong Second that follows rules. It is better for everyone. More and more of the Humans are coming to the Courtyard. I don't think I actually understood that they would come in the numbers that they are showing up in. If I had, I would never have agreed to be ‘Security’. I would have stuck Dean with it.

“Brigid helps the Humans understand that the Others have rules. It was wise for the Humans to obey the rules. It makes dealing with the Humans more tolerable. More tolerable Humans meant less of them die. Supposedly that is a good thing." 

Chris sighed. "Fine. Now that you have decided her life for her, I need to find another person who is willing to learn Brigid Cash Registering. I think I have an idea about that.” 

The Others looked around the table and nodded their agreement. Now they just had to go and share what they had decided for her. After they finished eating, eating was very important.


	3. A Place To Call Our Own

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are getting this as I work through it. Believe me, I'm not going to be making this much progress on a regular basis. But it's New Year's weekend and I'm bored.

Brigid and Alex were finishing their meal when Chris came to sit at the table with them. 

Maggie and Margie got up with muttered excuses almost as soon as his butt was in the chair. 

They babbled how: ‘They needed to finish up. They needed to do things to shut down the Café so that when Melissa came back they would be ready. They would just wait for her in the kitchen.’ 

She had seen the ‘Magpies’ in the Café not long after the Courtyard opened to Humans. Officially. There had always been the curious, adventurous and the suicidal. 

It was from Melissa and Chris that Brigid had rediscovered what ‘protective’ meant. From a position of strength. Rather than her version born out of a sort of desperation. 

Brigid had watched as more than once Melissa and even Chris had but their very bodies between the Magpies and threats of varying degrees. And this was how Chris was repaid. The longer Brigid dealt with the world of the Courtyard? The better she understood the attitude the Others had toward Humans. 

Brigid was embarrassed for them at how quickly they scampered off. She could see how well it didn’t go over with Chris from the fleeting expression in his blue storm-colored eyes. She had a flash of bunnies startling and fleeing. Which only prompted the Wolf to chase. She had mad respect for his ability to choke back his urge to…respond to their unthinking provocation.

If coming to the Courtyard had taught her nothing else? She was getting better and better at turning and facing what was creeping and stalking toward her. Sometimes those shadows were real. Others? The dark fears that only existed in her imagination. Chris had been a part of the learning experience. 

He respected people that stood their ground even if they didn’t agree with him. He could even be considered reasonable. Upon occasion. 

Tonight he seemed to alternate between amused, his default slightly cranky, and pleased with something. 

Melissa came over and put a set of keys on the table. In front of Brigid. With a slightly triumphant lift-lip toward Chris. Who snarled at her causing Alex to hesitate about eating his desert. The low rumble Chris gave then seemed to be bizarrely comforting and Alex resumed eating. 

Brigid looked at her confused. One thing at a time. "What are the keys for?"

Melissa answered. "The room upstairs where you and the cub can live. Maggie and Margie are staying tonight. In their usual room. These keys are for the larger quarters that no one has used.” 

She raised her voice and directed that part toward the two girls. “The weather is bad. The Magpies will help you find the things to make up the beds. I am gathering things that did not sell for all of you to take upstairs. It is not weather for Humans to go outside for food." Melissa walked off. Her part was evidently done. 

"Okaaaay." Brigid was just going to roll with the plan. After all, it wasn’t like she had a better one. 

Chris handed her a familiar manila envelope. "You worked hard today. Tomorrow you will work hard also. The boy can stay in the room behind the counter." His eyes flicked over to the curly haired woman packing food. "Melissa has decided." 

There was a mutual lip lift at the comment. Their seemingly default expression when dealing with each other. 

He picked back up the thread of his ...explanation on how things were going to be. "He will be close. He will be watched. I will meet you at 9:00 a.m. to let you in the Store. You will work the cash register. You did very good today. Melissa will feed you and the boy for lunch. 

“We throw the customers out at 4:00 o’clock. New hours. They can deal with it. I have decided that this time will work best for them to go somewhere else for the evening. I have better things to do with my nights than deal with customers. They need to be out of the Courtyard before dark anyway. Can’t see. Can’t hear and can’t smell. They need to go back to where they can function.

“Someone will show you where to buy groceries after work later. Melissa will feed you tonight." He nodded, got up and left to finish shutting down The Bookstore. 

Brigid blinked. There was kind of knowing that the Other weren’t big on ‘social niceties’ according to Humans and then there was the in your face reality of it. Say your part and then walk off seemed to be the prescribed way that the Wolfgard worked. 

Maggie and Margie came over. "Well, I guess things have been decided. We have some snacks. Melissa will finish up here. Come on. We will get you settled in. We can find some things for you to wear to sleep in and something for work tomorrow. We pack extra and we are close to the same size you are. Does he have any extra clothes? I don't know that we can find anything that small quickly. There just aren’t any children around. Not that we have seen anyway."

Brigid looked at them and then over at Alex. 

(We get to stay? We don't have to go back there?) he signed. 

She was almost decided to just go with the unexpected windfall no questions asked from the words 'back there'. Not home or the house but 'back there'. 

"Could you tell me more about what is going on?" 

Maggie and Margie looked at each other. Maggie shrugged and started talking. "Beacon Hills Courtyard is a kind of experiment. But you probably knew that since you have been coming here since it officially opened to Humans.” 

“The Hales got this idea that if Humans and Others interacted more that we/they would learn to if not get along then tolerate each other better. The shops in our Market Square are exclusively for the Others and their Human employees. The businesses facing the Crowfield Avenue have hours when they are open to the Humans in general. The Bookstore and Cafe' are two of those businesses. There is also a fitness center that has a few memberships available to Humans, the seamstress/tailor shop, and a gallery on Main Street which is open to anyone when it's open at all.

"There is a little bit of most everything in Market Square, but not a lot of anything. There is a plaza a few blocks from the Courtyard area that serves the Humans who live in this part of Beacon Hills. It has all sorts of stores and more variety of merchandise. A Courtyard bus provides transportation twice a week for anyone that wants to shop there. 

“There have been more..semi-typical ways of advertising for jobs in the beginning. That is how we ended up working for Melissa. We count ourselves fortunate. With her, we don't have to wonder if we will be serving dinner or we will BE dinner.

“You will see the initials H.L.D.N.A. around the Courtyard. That stands for Human Laws Do Not Apply.   
Yes, I understand that you and Alex have been coming here ever since the Courtyard opened to Humans. But, it is better to be told twice than to not know and piss off some of…them. They aren’t all understanding or forgiving. Some of them just want us gone in the most basic and permanent of ways. Don’t ever forget that no matter how kind they may seem. They aren’t like us. They aren’t…Human.

"You have been hired to manage the check out at The Bookstore. The Others tend to have a more...unique.... way of handling job applications and employment. Getting thrown in the deep end is pretty typical for them. The traditional employment agencies didn’t last too long around here.

“The Others tend to hate cashiering. They don’t like standing in one place for long periods of time and it can be very boring. A bored Wolfgard is not… Well, it’s just best to be avoided. Their idea of entertainment and ours…differ. 

“We see the two of you around a lot. More than we would if you had a life outside the Courtyard that you liked. If you are looking to get away, this is a good place to do it. The Others are fair in their own way. It can be a kind of brutal fairness but you have no doubts of where you stand with them and they don't stab you in the back. They are more… rip your throat out face to face. 

“You have been offered a chance at a new life. You work hard. You play by their rules. You will be taken care of. That includes Humans coming here trying to cause you trouble. They will deal with that for you. Sometimes whether you want them to or not.

“Alex is the only Human child that we have seen here. People just don’t come with their children. Yes, again, I am sure that you have caught flack about it from some of the Humans that visit. There are no Human children that live in the Courtyard either. 

“The Others are very protective of the young. I’ve never even seen any in all the time I’ve been here. 

“Your little boy is probably safer here than most anywhere else. Anybody messes with him. Well. It won't be pretty. If you are in a bad situation and you want out..here is your chance. You just have to have the guts to take it." 

Brigid felt stunned. This is what she had been wishing and hoping for ever since about the end of the first month the Courtyard had opened to Humans. She had wanted it for so long and could never see a way of getting it to happen. Even if she had applied and managed to get a job? She wouldn’t have been able to bring Alex with her. There was no place that she had been able to find to leave him. Not that would satisfy her need to believe that he was safe and protected. As much as she could manage. 

Now it had been dropped into her lap. She was afraid. So scared that it would be snatched away just when she thought that they might actually win their freedom and safety. 

She looked over at Alex. 

(I want to stay here. I won't be any trouble. I don't want to go back there. They don't like me. They want us gone but won’t let us go. I don't want to go back.)

That pretty much decided her. "Fine. Let me go out to the car and get our things. I have been wanting out. I just never considered a Courtyard when I was trying to find a place to go." 

They put on their coats and headed to the front door of the Bookstore. Chris looked up from what he was doing when they gathered around the door. He made eye contact with Alex and raised an eyebrow and looked outside. 

Alex pointed to himself then to Brigid then outside.   
That seemed to satisfy Chris’ inquiry. He nodded and went back to glaring at pieces of paper as if they had personally offended him. Greatly.   
“You could stay here with Chris. I can grab our things. It’s getting nasty outside.” Brigid would prefer her four-year-old to stay inside where it was warm. But she knew he wouldn’t. It had been the two of them for so long it was ingrained to help each other as best as possible.   
Alex shook his head and signed: I take care of my things. 

Brigid took a deep breath and they opened the heavy door to the front of the store. The cold bite of the wind stole it out of her lungs as she gasped in response. She took good hold of Alex and the four of them hurried to where her vehicle was parked. 

One of the Magpies announced: “Just leave it here. It’s already late. If you have to move it? Do it in the morning. Let’s just grab your things and get out of this.” 

Brigid grabbed and handed Alex his ‘overnight’ things. One of the Magpies did take part to help him out since the wind was buffeting him. Brigid quickly handed off some things to the other Magpie and loaded up what she thought they would need for the night from that section. It didn’t take long before they were closing and locking the car doors and headed back inside. 

“I’ll show you where to park in the morning. You can move your vehicle to beside ours. It’s just down the way on the Human side. There is a place around back for the Others but we can’t get there. We’ve never been granted that kind of access. For whatever reason. 

“Someone comes and lets us in from the front door when we come to work in the morning. It will be easier since the two of you are living upstairs. Your car will be just fine here. No one will bother it. Not in the Courtyard itself. There is always something…Other…watching and listening.” 

Chris was close by the front door and opened it and Wolfgard handled it closed against the weather and locked it. “Melissa put food for you on the table in the kitchen.” He turned to look at the Magpies. “The things you brought in earlier for staying are in my kitchen as well. The gate to the back area is unlocked. I have also unlocked the access to the top floor. Move.” 

Brigid had never been through the massive wrought iron barrier and gate that separated the public area from the private section. She admitted to curiously looking around. The kitchen area was neat enough but it was obvious that very little meal preparation went on there. Which only made sense considering that there was a Café that was only separated by another wrought iron barrier and gate. 

Their things were stacked on the surprisingly long table that could seat several people. They managed to sort and gather their things up without having to ask Chris for help or making a second trip. 

Brigid noticed that there was a laundry area just across from the kitchen.   
Chris motioned them toward the wall where the staircase was located. More wrought iron caged it in and restricted access. At the moment it was standing open. 

“I will leave the gates unlocked for tonight. I will be around. Do not test what patience I have left and decide to explore. You are being allowed to stay tonight. Don’t fuck it up by being a nosey Human.”   
Brigid and Alex nodded gravely. The Magpies nodded once and then kept their heads down. But that didn’t hid the offended look in their eyes. 

Single file, they managed to get up the flights of stairs to the third floor. It wasn’t without effort. The lighting was probably adequate for Other eyesight. It was a little lacking for the Human element. But they managed. 

“Oh thank the Heavens.” One of the Magpies muttered as she pushed the wrought iron gate open at the entry area to the floor. “I didn’t think about it might be locked as well.” 

Maggie checked the key. "You are in the middle. I haven't been in that one. There is another one at the end that no one ever uses either. This place is creepy. There are more apartments that we can find. Or rather more rooms than we can find. The size and number of rooms don’t match the square footage of the outside of the building. It’s just…odd. I guess you will have to get used to it now you live here." 

Brigid unlocked the door and opened it and stepped into their new home. 

It was a spacious place. It was more than big enough for both of them to have some room. There was a loft over the bathroom and kitchen areas. Very high ceilings. She could already see the gleam in Alex’s eyes as he spotted the loft. Alex checked out everything. Signing to himself and them as he went. 

The girls carried all of their things and their part of the supplies from Melissa in and then left them to start settling in.

Brigid wasn’t sorry to see them go. She didn’t even bother to see what apartment they had gone to. 

They had been pleasant. There had been nothing said that she could put her finger on as to why she had the feeling they would not be best friends forever. They held themselves apart. There was some signal she was picking up on that said they wouldn’t welcome anyone into their inner circle. That was fine. She had more than enough to do without worrying about some young kids that were a bit stand-offish. 

She looked around the apartment. It was much longer than it was wide. Wooden floors and brick walls. It had so much potential. For more than decorating. 

Brigid hoped to make it her own. Their haven. She wanted a safe place. For her son and for herself. To not have to worry about her husband's temper. His mistress' machinations. They would be glad that the two of them were gone. 

Almost as glad as she and Alex were to be gone. She would work as hard and as long as she had to in order for them to be able to stay here. Maybe one day they would even be able to have a life. 

She didn't know what she was going to do about school. How was she going to take care of Alex while she worked in The Bookstore? He was a quiet child but having to stay in one room for extended periods of time. Well crap. It wouldn't be that different. They had been staying to themselves for years. Ever since the accident and him getting out of the hospital. She would be able to pay him enough attention to ... To what she didn't know. Did they have a school here? For humans? Of course not! This was the Other’s domain. Whatever they had would be geared toward their needs. 

She shuddered at the thought of putting him in a human school. Again. She had been home-schooling him. The half a year that he had been in Pre-Kindergarten had been horrible. School hadn't been a haven away from home. It had just been more bullying and upset. She had taken him out and that had been the end of it. 

He could already read. They had 'written' books together. That had been the one thing that had caused her to almost go after Mistress with a fire place poker. 

The Bitch had been burning one of Alex's books. 

He would draw the pictures. The two of them would decide what should be written and she would print the words. He would go back over his books and 'read' the words to her. 

The Bitch had gotten mad about something. 

It was when she and Alex had still come downstairs to dinner. It was after the actual meal while the drinking, back biting and so called socializing was going on. Alex had been 'reading' to her in his raspy voice. 

Bitch had grabbed the book out of his hand and thrown it in the fire. "Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. You sound like some sort of stupid animal." 

He had burned his hands getting the book out of the fire. 

Brigid had taken him to the hospital to be treated. For once no one got in her way. They weren't bad burns. Not as bad as they could have been. But they were painful. It had also been the last time he had spoken in public. The last time they had joined the 'family' for any meal. 

He was afraid of fireplaces. 

She was surprised even though he had been injured in a car wreck he was not afraid of cars. But then they had spent enough time in them. Hiding and staying out of reach and sight of their relatives. Having his 'important' things in the car made him feel better than having them in 'his' room where at any time someone could go through them. Neither of them trusted the people in the mansion not to be so petty as to damage anything that they thought the two of them valued. 

She looked over at the plastic tote that contained his 'library'. Again, courtesy of Chris. It was water-tight and bad to the bone tough. She thought that it had originally been used to ship something. Very valuable something as tough as it had been made. Alex treasured his ‘archive vault’ as Chris had referred to it once over most anything else. 

It was a pathetic way to live. Carrying one's world around in the trunk of their car. Always making sure to have enough food, water and clothes to not have to go 'back there'. Pillows and quilts for each in the back seat. A number of bottles of water. The sealed container that had their ‘snacks’. Enough to last for several days worth of meals. 

An over-stuffed 'gym' bag for their yoga class for each of them. How many people had a gym bag that contained enough clothes for a week, shampoo, soap, towels and wash cloths along with wipes for quick clean up? How many ‘normal’ people that weren’t indigent? 

Her family was wealthy. Her husband's family was wealthier. Why the fuck were they living and thinking almost like homeless people? 

"Because we don't have a home. We just have a place that we stay. Sometimes. We have 'back there' that isn't a house or a home."

Alex looked over at her.

She shook her head at him. "Thinking. Hoping. Maybe this can be our home. Our haven of peace. It has the two of us. That is all that we really need to make a home." She picked him up and cuddled him. "Let's go ahead and put some of our things away. Then we can read for a little while before we go to bed. Sometime this week we can work on writing another of the books that you have illustrated. How is that?"

Alex's grin was bright and happy. It took so little to make him happy. 

A place to call their own would make both of them very, very happy.


	4. First Real Day On The Job

Watersday Morning

Brigid had set the alarm for 7:00 a.m. to make certain that they would both be ready to meet with Chris at 9:00 a.m. He had given her a job, home and a place that Alex could be with her and be safe. The Bookstore was already a place that both of them considered Sanctuary.

She didn’t want to let him down. Be a disappointment. She had gotten so used to it in the world that she had come from. What she had struggled so hard to leave behind in so many ways. They counted her as a failure. But she let them. 

She found them as lacking in basic humanity as they faulted her for lack of guts. 

This was different. Chris was different. The way he looked at her. The way he treated her. The way he gently threw her in the Wolfgard waters. Like he knew that she could not only come up but come out fighting. He praised her when she did. He was counting on her. Not just for an hour or two here and there. But for her to…

She could feel her nerves tighten. What did he want from her? What did he expect? What was she capable of doing? He believed in her but she had doubts. This might have been a mistake. 

NO! No. She hadn’t even started and already she was telling herself how defeated and how helpless and hopeless she was. She had worked so hard for so long to be independent. To take care of herself and Alex. To be given a fresh start. 

Here it was. Right in front of her being offered on a Wolfgard serving platter. She just had to reach out and take her share. She had one. They made a place for her. For Alex. 

Their table. Their corner of safety. Little by little they had settled in. Learned to be comfortable. Dared to give a measure of trust to savage predators. According to the world outside the Courtyard. Who could write a book on how to…. Enough. She survived. That was good enough. That was what counted in the end. 

Stupid fears and stupid nerves. There were things to be afraid of. Reasons to be cautious. Cautious. That was a better word than afraid. Actually scared shitless sometimes. It was okay to be careful, cautious and engage brain before making major decisions. 

She had. Thought about it. She and Alex had talked around it from time to time. About having somewhere else to stay. How much they both wanted it. 

She took a deep breath. Then another. And another. She could do this. She and Alex weren’t alone. She was even going to say that Chris was on their side. He didn’t want and wasn’t standing there waiting for them to fail and fall. He had done countless small things to make their lives easier. 

He was more on their side than anyone else at…that place…had ever been. 

More important than anything, he listened. To her. To Alex. They didn’t talk much or often. But when either of them indicated that they needed or wanted his attention. He gave it to them. 

His full attention. And hadn’t that just about made her wet herself the first few times it happened? She was better but she still had a few seconds of worrying about deodorant failure when he turned those bluey-green oddly crystalline colored eyes on her. 

But she had…gotten used to it? Adapted? Learned to deal with his full attention anyway. And she was going to have it today. 

All day. Together. Oh. Mother. Night. Where did she put her antiperspirant and one more swipe wouldn’t hurt. 

She looked down at Alex tugging on her skirt. “What Baby?”

He gave her a look. 

Oh. Right. No cutsie names. He had a name. Please use it. “I do apologize Alexander. What was it you wanted?” 

He handed her a small card. 

Don’t worry about the boulder that MIGHT roll over you a mile down the road. Pay attention to what is immediately before you. You can only change right here ~ right now. 

Well crap. Busted. She had known that she was going to regret making those cards when they had cut them out and decorated them. Needless worrying. But. She was sooooo GOOD at it. She had it down to a fine art by now. 

“Right. Okay. Let’s tidy up and put away our things that we didn’t get to last night. You are going to be downstairs all day with me. We might get to run back up at lunch. But we aren’t going to count on it. What do you think that we need to take downstairs with us for the day?”

Her lips twitched. Alex’s Thinking Face (trademark pending). She just stayed out of his way as he gathered his supplies. Snacks. Water bottle. Change of clothes. That one made her want to scratch her head. WHY would he think that he would need a change of clothes? 

Drawing supplies. His extra thick ‘yoga’ mat. Blanket and pillow. A couple of books that he had ‘written’. That made her wonder how long he thought they were going to be downstairs. “Alex? You do realize that we are just going downstairs to work. We are going to get a lunch break. Eight hours might seem like a long time but it’s not that long.” 

He just gave her a Look. “Be prepared!” 

Crap. Again. How often had she pulled that one out on him. It was such a bitch when what you taught your children came back around to bite you on the ass. They tended to expect you to actually use what you lectured them about. 

“Of course. My bad. Carry on.” She just sat on the bed and watched as he arranged and re-arranged to make sure that everything was properly arranged in his Bug Out Bag. Damn. Four-almost-five, as he liked to remind her, and he could pack like a pro. How… Capable. She was going to use the word capable and not some of the others that would have her feeling like a really shitty mother. She had a capable son. And she was very proud of him. 

She hoped so very much that this worked. 

A knock on the door made them both flinch and look at each other. Hands tightened on his Bug Out Bag and on her purse. 

“Hey. It’s us. Maggie and Margie. Are you ready? It helps to get there a little early.” 

Of course. Didn’t they feel stupid. Courtyard? Upstairs over the Bookstore? Ringing any bells? Brigid went and opened the door. “Sure. Just let me grab my things and we can go.” 

“The back door. Not the front.” 

Brigid looked at the girls. “Pardon?” 

“Go out your back door. It’s easier. There’s a freight elevator. From here you can just get in that way. If you come from the front and park in the Human Only parking, someone has to come and get you. But you won’t have to worry about that since you’re staying here.” 

Brigid did frown as a thought occurred to her. “What about the staircase?”   
One of the Magpies shook her head. “I wouldn’t bet on him leaving that unlocked. This was more of an exception than a rule. The Others don’t like us just wandering around. We need to stay in our areas. Start out coming in the back area and having someone let you in. That’s going to be better tolerated.” 

“Okay. Sure.” 

“Just come on. I’ll show you.” 

Now if she could just figure out which one was Maggie and which one was Margie. Actually, if she could really give a damn it would make it easier. They were pleasant enough but there was this feeling of they would prefer to deal with her and everyone else, except a select few, as little as possible. She rather resented that. From the look of annoyance on Alex’s face before he ducked his head, she wasn’t the only one. 

They went through the apartment and out the back door. “I have a sun porch? Cool. This will be great when it isn’t freezing cold.” 

“Yeah. It runs the length of the building. Or maybe I should say width. Whatever. I guess you could open up all the gates since you are going to be the only one up here. It’s not like that many people want to live in the Courtyard.” 

La-la-la-la. Not listening. Not that many PEOPLE? What did they consider the Wolfgard? Nope. No answer wanted or needed. Not listening. 

Brigid took Alex’s hand and gave a tiny skip. “We could have plants. In containers. I could have roses. That we could pick whenever we wanted. Flowers in our room. Maybe hanging baskets. Like some of those little house pictures that we were looking at. OH! Like a mini-jungle out back.” 

Alex brightened at the idea and started to sign. 

One of the Magpies commented before he could ‘talk’. “I don’t know about hanging things. You might want to ask before you go drilling holes and stuff. You would have to water them and stuff. There’s no hose out here. It would actually be kind of a pain to take care of lots of plants. But I suppose that a few wouldn’t hurt.” 

Brigid looked down at Alex at his faint tug on her hand. 

He signed quickly. “Dr. Wet Blanket.” 

She bit her lip to stop the snicker that wanted to come out. And that was it. Out of the mouth of her almost-five-year-old. The two of them had a Doctorate in Negativity. Come up with an idea. They were so very concerned and helpful to tell you half a dozen ways why it wouldn’t work. That was fine. She didn’t have to work with them or have them in her life. They were not allowed to rain on her parade. 

She and Alex followed them into the elevator and down to the ground floor. The elevator opened into a small room that was connected to the larger room where deliveries were made. She tested and the door to the Bookstore itself was locked. 

Out one doorway and down the side of the building to go into the delivery entrance of the Café. 

The back door was already open and Melissa was in the kitchen area working on breakfast. The Magpies put their things away and went over to a small table that had muffins and coffee cups in the corner of the kitchen. 

“Can we help?” Brigid looked for a place to put their things down for a few moments till the Bookstore opened. It just seemed unfair to leave it all to Melissa. Even if she did seem to have it all under control. 

“The muffins on that counter are for the two of you. Take those with you next door. Chris is over there grumbling already. He has coffee made.” Melissa stopped with a thoughtful look. “Come to think of Chris and his coffee. My coffee pot is over there. Get some milk out of the fridge for Alex. Chris’ version of wake-up coffee is an…acquired taste. Or not taste. I think he has destroyed his taste buds along with his stomach lining.” 

A deep voice drifted from the front of the Café. “Nobody asked you to drink my coffee. If you don’t like it fine. More for me.” Chris moved to stand at the entrance of the kitchen area and watched the Magpies a less than thrilled look which they returned with interest when he turned his back on them. No love loss there!

Brigid nudged Alex and they gathered up their things and headed for the Bookstore. 

Alex put down his Bag and darted back and gave Melissa’s leg a careful hug as he balanced his breakfast. His hands were occupied so he whispered in his odd voice. “Thank you for feeding us.” 

Melissa got the oddest look on her face. She carded her fingers through his hair and gently tugged in an strangely affectionate looking gesture. She knelt and looked at him steadily. “You will never have to be hungry around here.” 

There was more to the words than lip service. Brigid could tell that much. 

She slowly leaned in and rubbed her cheek against Alex’s. It was very…Wolfgard. “You are most welcome.” 

Crud. Manners. I haz them. “Thank you from me too.” 

Melissa stood and looked at her gravely. “No hug?”

Brigid couldn’t tell if she was teasing or not. “Uh? Hug?” Did she really want one?   
“It’s fine.” 

“No. I mean sure. Yeah.” Brigid went over and started to give her a rather tentative hug. 

Only to be pulled into a firm embrace and the top of her head ruffled and face rubbied. Rubbed? No. Rubbed did not come close to describing how it was to have a Wolfgard show… Affection? Liking? She could believe liking. She was likable. She was babbling in the privacy of her head. She didn’t sound like an idiot. She only probably looked like one. 

It was a good thing that she had never put much stock in dignity. She didn’t have a whole lot left at this point. She made her escape after Alex.

♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥

The table that Alex usually sat and played and drew on had been moved.

The first time she had walked into the Bookstore, she had rather wondered at the small children's section. There must have been a layout that he just followed. Or Melissa had gotten hold of and shoved at him. How to Arrange a Successful Bookstore. Which evidently included a children’s section that had only been used by her child. 

She did love the table. It was a fairly large two level table. One section for play that had some toys and the other that had a couple of small chairs. That was where he sat to draw. It was now in the small room behind the counter. The area had most likely been intended as an office. At the moment it was just an empty room. 

“Eat your breakfast. In there. You have your own coffee. I have things to do before the store opens. Settle in.” The voice was low in volume and timbre. And dead sexy. And the unexpectedness of it behind her almost had her wearing her coffee. 

Brigid turned with a glare. “I swear that the first thing that I’m going to buy with my first paycheck is a set of bells for you.” 

“Oh? What kind? And exactly where on my body were you planning on putting them?” That eyebrow lift should have been illegal. It was so very…suggestive. 

Brigid opened her mouth to deliver a stinging retort. And damn if she could find one in the muddle that was her brain. He was closer than she was expecting. The wicked little grin on his face made her want to move backward very quickly as much as she wanted to carefully get closer to him. 

He wasn’t actually all that tall. There were others that towered over her physically. But he had presence that just kind of wrapped around your throat and sometimes stole your breath and commanded your attention. 

He leaned forward.   
Brigid leaned back. She didn’t give ground but it was a near thing. She watched his eyes close slightly as he entered his very personal space. And rubbed his nose against her cheek. “Good morning.” 

Brigid wasn’t ashamed of the little noise that came from her throat. She really wasn’t. Embarrassed as fuck not ashamed. Mother. Night. She only thought she knew what sexy was. He licked the underside of her jaw with the tip of his tongue. That got her moving. Away. 

“Yes. Good Morning. Yes. It’s morning.” She winced and could see Alex out of the corner of her eye. He put his hand over his face so he wouldn’t have to witness his mother humiliate herself anymore. 

He sighed. Long and deep. And then made a sound like a startled squawk. Chris had moved with Wolfgard speed and was now crouching in front of him. Alex’s eyes were very big. 

Almost as large as the grin on Chris’ face. He moved from a crouch to a kneeling posture. 

Alex had put his breakfast and things down on his table. His hands were free. He used them as Chris caught his shirt and slowly reeled him into his body. So he could slowly rub his bearded face over Alex’s. 

Alex protested and got his hands on Chris’ face to keep the beard off his skin. “No. No. No. Tickles. No.” Forget signing. She could see that. His beard could be used as a loofah to take a layer of skin off. 

“Tickle him back.” The slender dark-haired girl appeared out of nowhere. Alex and Brigid both jumped. She moved in behind Chris and dug into his ribcage. He just released Alex and clamped down on her hands with his arms. 

Alex backed up out of range. Very quickly. 

Chris looked up and back at the girl.   
“Oh. Shit.” She just had time enough to say those words before he reached up and back and kind of rolled her over his shoulder. She ended up sitting or actually sprawled on the floor in front of him. With his fingers digging into her ribcage. It was much more effective than what she had come up with. 

“NO. My hair. My hair. Do not mess up my hair. It took forever and I want to look nice my first day at a real job.” 

He stopped tickling her and pulled her into a full body hug. “If you would be still it wouldn’t take nearly as long.” 

“Not up for discussion. I look very nice. I want to stay that way.”   
He rose gracefully to his feet and pulled her up. Effortlessly. Damn. 

Brigid and Alex looked at each other. “Breakfast.” That would make them feel much…better. Melissa’s muffins always made things better. They sat at the table to eat their breakfast. 

The girl joined them. With a muffin and something in a coffee cup. 

Chris looked at it and made a snorting noise. “Should I get you a little coffee to go with your milk?”

The girl smiled sweetly at him and drained the last couple of swallows in her cup and handed it to him. “Please and thank you.” 

He rolled his eyes at her but took the cup and turned toward the back of the Bookstore and the kitchen.   
The girl’s amazing dimples were on full display as she ‘helpfully’ informed him. “We don’t have any more milk.”  
He shifted direction to walk toward the Café. “I don’t think that we have ever had any here to start with. I take my coffee black.” 

“I don’t think that qualifies as coffee. Dark acid maybe.”   
“It’s made from coffee beans. It’s coffee.” 

“Thank you for getting my coffee from Melissa! My rich, smooth easily drinkable coffee that is lightly flavored with milk.”   
“Your milk that is lightly flavored with coffee.”   
“I love you Daddy.”   
“Je t'aime.” 

Brigid and Alex looked at each other in surprise. For a couple of different reasons. The relationship and the way they interacted with each other. Not at all what she was expecting. She, for some reason, was expecting him to have a son rather than a daughter. A much younger son. Showed how much she knew.

Alex mouthed at Brigid. “Daddy?”   
“You can use your voice. I can’t do the finger thing. If it hurts, Daddy has some of the throat stuff from Stiles. Using your voice not your fingers. My name is Allison. I know you. Brigid and Alex.” 

“Okay.”   
“I am working. I have a job.”   
“That’s nice?”   
“You are going to teach me.” 

“Uh. What exactly am I teaching you? This is my first day on the job. I have a great deal to learn myself.” 

"My father has been watching you for some time. He said you were very good at dealing with the Humans." 

"Okay.”

"We have had Humans work here and other places. Not all of them were good at dealing with other Humans. Even fewer were good at dealing with Other. You seem to be strong in both areas. That is what you are to teach me." 

Brigid looked at her.   
Chris strolled back in with several muffins and a cup of creamy coffee that the put before his daughter. “I don’t expect miracles.” 

Allison tilted her head back resting it against his leg. A very vulnerable position. “I do well with the Humans.”   
“Mmmm.”   
“I’m not the one that snarls at them.”   
“Hummm.” 

“I can even use words instead of just sounds to communicate.”   
Melissa snickered at the doorway. Damn Wolfgard quiet walking skills.   
“I get my point across just fine thank you.” 

Movement caught her eye and she saw Maggie, Margie and Melissa standing in the archway. She made eye contact with Maggie and Margie. "Customer service skills?" 

Melissa looked intrigued. "I have heard of this but no one can explain it well. What is customer service? Has someone written a Handbook?"

The look Chris gave her should have set her hair on fire. 

Between Chris and Melissa? She only had hopes for one of them to master 'customer service'. The typical Human kind of ‘customer service’ anyway. 

Brigid sighed. "Oh hell." and winced. "It's hard to define. It comes down to making the customers feel valued and appreciated so they will keep coming back and spend money with you. They also do 'word of mouth' advertising for you which means that they tell their friends to come and shop at your store because they feel as if you like them so they like you back."

Allison tilted her head in a lupine manner. "Is it hard to learn?"

Brigid laughed briefly. "It seems to be for some people. I have had good customer service when I have gone into stores and I have had some very bad customer service. Bad service is when the customers feel like the people in the store don't want them there and don't want their money." 

"But sometimes we don't want them here!" Allison was honest. 

The Other's heads nodded and the Humans shook their heads. 

"You might feel that way but you can't let the Humans know that. If you can't like them then you need to learn how to be polite and helpful so they will spend money and then go away and you will both be happy with the interaction." 

Brigid looked at the Others. "I can show you what I do. I can tell you why I do the things that I do. At least I think I can. You will have to find your own way to do customer service. Just mimicking me isn't going to get you into the right mindset. I am probably going to regret this example. All of you know how to hunt?" 

She looked at the Others nodding their heads. "Someone taught you how to hunt. The way to stalk and pounce. The more you practiced the more you found the best way for you to hunt. Do you understand what I mean about you have to learn the best way for you to deal with customers like you had to practice and learn the best way for you to hunt?" 

The smiles that she got back were not reassuring. Maybe she should point out they were hunting for money. They needed to get the humans to give them money. Willingly. The willingly was a key part. 

Maybe she was in way over her head trying to teach customer service to Others. She looked at Melissa shooing the girls back to her side. Melissa would probably pick up on the concepts quickly. It was probably in some section of what Chris referred to as Hell’s Handbook. 

Allison was young. Hopefully she wasn't too much of her father's daughter. 

Her father. Christopher Argent Wolfgard. There was something to be said about the excitement of danger doing a good deal to attract customers. As long as things didn't get too exciting she would be fine. She hoped. She had managed so far. It was still going to be better than what they had before. Much better. How bizarre that in some ways this was a dream come true. Or the start of one.


	5. Still Waters

Allison was picking up on how to put Humans at ease quickly. She was a rather sweet girl by nature. She could be funny even though her Other sense of humor and Brigid's didn't always mesh. There was a kind of brutal honesty that sometimes was like a punch to the face. The Other’s didn’t pretend that things didn’t happen/exist and politely ignore what they consider possible issues. They weren’t afraid to step right square in the middle of most any question or comment. Either answering or asking. 

The questions about how she had learned to get along with Humans sometimes hit a bit close to some festering and raw wounds. Brigid didn’t want to think about how she had learned to keep people happy with her. To go along and get along at almost any cost. To develop the skills that kept her out of conflict as much as possible. She valued the skills she had learned. They had come at a very high price. 

Allison would sense that Brigid was bothered by thinking of the reasons why she had learned to manipulate people to the degree she had mastered. The word ‘manipulation’ did not go over well. Not when Brigid thought of how she had been…tainted…by learning to do what had been used so often on her. 

Allison had very little reference for dealing with Humans so she reacted to Brigid like she would a distressed Wolfgard in a fragile state. Very physically reassuring. More communication was done non-verbally than verbally. The first time Allison had put her arms around Brigid from behind. She had let go and taken a step back very swiftly. 

Not because she was afraid of being hit. Brigid had frozen in place not even daring to breathe. Hitting had been the last thing on her mind. Not her doing the hitting or hurting anyway. Not going there. She had pulled herself back together and give some lame excuse. That everyone pretended to believe. 

Allison didn’t back away like Brigid was expecting. Allison seemed intent on doing her part of making sure they were assimilated. She made sure to pet and reassure Brigid often. Approaching from the side or front. Where she could be seen.

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Brigid hadn't figured that part out. Allison's physical closeness to her. The way that the young girl interacted with her.

She and Alex had watched and learned from the other Human’s mistakes in their interactions with the various Others in the Courtyard. Brigid had all of the ‘hard way’ learning she wanted for the rest of her life. 

The Others kept their distance from the Humans. The Humans were encouraged to keep their distance in return. Initiating contact was not a particularly good idea. For the Humans. If the Others were willing to be approached and interact they were as clear about that as when they wanted to be left alone. 

But then for everything that she had sort of figured out, there were the exceptions to the rule. She wished that life came with a handbook. She did kind of understand Melissa’s love for her Hell’s Handbook. 

“The afternoon Humans will be here soon. Go and eat now. Melissa has something set aside for you to try. If you don’t like it, be honest. Sometimes her brilliant ideas aren’t quite as shining as she thinks.” Chris put his hands firmly on Brigid’s shoulders to keep her in place. She hadn’t realized that he had walked up behind her. “Good. That was much less like a startled fawn. We might make a ‘Gard out of you yet.” 

He released her and took a slight step back. Brigid turned to look at him and saw the smirk. “I have the scar to prove that you must have some ‘Other in the woodpile’.” He touched the side of his head where she had hit him with the book when he had scared her. There was no scar. 

Brigid glared at his back as he walked off after that comment. She was never going to live that down.

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Allison, Alex and Brigid were sitting in The Cafe when a young man came wandering through. Melissa fixed him a plate, pulled him down by his shirt so she could speak into his ear and shooed him out of her way. He looked wistfully at Allison. She eagerly gestured him to come to the table and scooted over to make room for him.

"This is Scott." 

Brigid thought... first love. She smiled and introduced herself and Alex. Shaking hands wasn't an Other custom so Scott just nodded and said hello. 

Allison pulled him into the chair beside her. Or rather he let her. If he had decided to resist, she wouldn’t have had a chance in Hell. It was just a couple of seconds. When he was putting his food on the table including his drink that was on the tray. He didn’t push her hands off of him or yank away. He just didn’t move where she wanted him to when she wanted him to. He steadied his glass and put the tray on the table then allowed himself to be tugged into the chair beside her. 

Allison was strong for a female. Athletic and quick. Brigid had already seen several examples of that as they worked. There was this almost kind of physical arrogance about her sometimes when she dealt with some of the Humans that came in. They were soft and weak. Vulnerable. 

Brigid hoped that Allison would never learn how much how tough you thought you were didn’t matter when your stronger and bigger opponent got their hands on you. How quickly a woman could be subdued by a male physically experienced in fighting. How seconds of hesitation to engage could put a woman in a very… bad place. All or nothing was both a strength and weakness. 

Brigid wondered if Allison realized how much he allowed her to boss him around. Verbally and physically. With good natured grace. Even she could see it from their brief interaction. Interesting. 

He was about a head taller than Allison. Built more like a swimmer than a wrestler. It was intriguing to watch him move. He was graceful when he wasn’t self-conscious. Allison made him very self-conscious. 

Scott went from the something that she had seen but didn’t have words for. A way of moving. A state of being. 

Chris had it when he was wandering around out of sight in the back. Away from the stiffness he had around Humans. The way he held himself in. But by himself. Oh. Mother. Night. And hadn’t that sight been burned into her brain. She had been going to the bathroom after too many pots of tea. Evidently Chris had like the song that was playing on the radio. He was certainly dancing to it. She ducked into the bathroom and it had taken her several seconds before she could get up off the floor. Feral grace. He could making a freaking killing as a stripper. He had the body and shockingly enough the moves for it. It had been weeks before she could look him in the face again. 

Scott had it when he was alone. That way of moving. He was at home in his body and happy to be there. It all kind of went down the drain when Allison looked at him. If he were Human, he would have been the Boy-next-door in looks. 

Scott was someone that you went to school with, worked with, or met somewhere daily. He was the nice guy that never got any real attention. He had dark brown hair that curled wildly and dark chocolate colored eyes. Olive skin that tanned easily. Nothing really set him apart. Obviously. But there was something that Brigid sensed more than saw. He would definitely be worth watching. 

Allison chattered to him about her day and what she was learning as he ate. He seemed totally interested. Totally smitten. She dominated the conversation. He just smiled at her fondly and let the words roll over him. He seemed to be used to that. He seemed to watch her more than listen. The body language thing again that Brigid didn’t have the master key for yet. 

Brigid watched her son out of the corner of her eye. Alex watched Scott, curious. He didn't seem as wary of the young man as he generally was of strange males. Even the young Human males that they met outside the Courtyard. 

Scott watched Alex back but never made direct eye-contact. He slumped in his seat. He had a soft, baritone that was slightly unexpected somehow. He came across to her as basically a very gentle person. 

They finished their food and went back next door to work. Scott went with them. 

Alex went back into the area that Chris had declared was his area. There was a fair amount of space behind the counter. Scott scrunched himself near the door way of the office. He didn’t even attempt to enter Alex’s den. He just dropped the messenger bag he had been carrying with him on the floor and sank down gracefully. 

It was kind of sickening actually. Brigid had seen dancers with less body control and grace. She would have ended up on her ass on the floor but with much less dignity. She kept her eye on them. 

Scott was the first Other that was interacting with Alex for more than a brief moment. Chris didn’t really count. Sam only did it in Wolf form. It meant something. Up until now they had pretty much politely kept their distance from Alex in the time they had been coming to the Bookstore. 

Scott had plain and colored pieces of paper with him. When Brigid looked back later because both boys were quiet, not always a good thing with boys of any age. There was a growing line of origami animals in the doorway. Alex had drawn closer fascinated by the project. Wolf. Hawk. Crow. Bear. Cat. Two Ponies. A bat that always got a smirk out of Scott when he looked at it. 

Scott looked up and made eye contact with Alex briefly and smiled without teeth. He pushed one of the animals toward Alex with a fingertip. Hesitantly Alex picked it up. Scott laid flat on the floor and began to play with one of the animals. Making it run around. He pushed some of the animals toward Alex. 

Alex wanted more ponies. He managed to get the point across to Scott. Various colors of paper were offered for Alex to decide what colors he wanted his ponies. Black and brown were picked out. One of each was made. After that he seemed to have something more specific in mind. He brought his pencils over and showed Scott the honey gold pencil. Scott picked out several white pieces of paper. He folded slowly so Alex could see what he was doing. Alex was now in the doorway with him. 

Brigid watched. Alex was the one that initiated touch. Brigid cleaned the counter and thought of the irony. The feral creature taming the civilized creature to touch and trust. It was the reverse of making friends with some wild animal. The wild animal was the one doing the work and coaxing. 

Allison nudged Scott with her foot. “You are in my way. You need to move. I am working.” 

Ouch. The look that Alex sent toward the back of her head at the way she talked to his playmate had some fire in it. He picked up the animals and patted Scott on the shoulder. Glared in Allison’s direction one more time and then started moving the rest of Scott’s things in his den. 

The messenger bag was hilarious. 

She shouldn’t laugh at her child. She really, really shouldn’t. 

Alex was going to help. He grabbed the strap of the bag to pick it up and move it into his room. The strap came up and Alex started moving. It was every comedy move ever filmed. He hit the end of the strap and… Not quite irresistible force meets immovable object. Scott caught him has Alex reeled back. “Hey cubling. It’s kind of heavy. Let me get it. I’ve got lots of crap in there.” Ah yes, male understanding of fragile male ego. 

Brigid notice that Scott never stood up to move. Dear Mother Night. His thigh muscles were.. impressive. His balance crouching was amazing. She would have so ended up on her ass. 

She watched them in-between checking out. She was more fascinated than worried. This was so beyond most of the interactions she had seen between a teenage male and her very young son. 

It certainly wasn’t how the teenage males in the Mansion acted toward Alex. 

Scott showed Alex how to make what seemed to be simplified versions of dogs, cats and birds. That was probably not what they represented but that is what they looked like to her. 

The next time she glanced back, Alex was draped across Scott’s shoulder watching him doing the folding. She damn near dropped the book she was holding. That level of touch and trust was…freaking amazing to have established in such a short period of time. It had taken him months to warm up to Sam in fur. 

Scott had Alex try to do some of the folding. Which was equally as astonishing. They had moved to Alex’s table and Alex was sitting in Scott’s lap as he worked on folding. It didn’t go well. Alex was struggling with the folds but still trying. But he did so much better than he ever had with the Physical Therapist. 

Scott was getting Alex to use his left hand to do most of the work. There had been some nerve damage from the accident leaving the hand weak and uncoordinated. He managed several before he quit. 

Scott just massaged his hand and arm till the tremors stopped. Alex was about to cry from frustration and anger. 

Scott started something that had a number of intricate folds. He had Alex hold his finger here and there as he did the folding. It was..something to watch. There was astonishing delicacy and control in those long fingers. Strength she had expected out of him. But this? 

Scott seemed to have settled in for the day. Brigid was so damn grateful to have someone that was so good with her son. 

Later, a soft sound from Allison caught her attention. She looked into the room. Alex had fallen asleep. Draped across Scott's back. They had evidently gone back to laying on the floor playing.

Scott was just laying there, watching what he could see of the world outside of the room. He seemed quite content to play pillow. He had been so very amazingly good natured about keeping Alex company. This was definitely above and beyond. It was time to give him a break. 

Brigid walked in. "He sleeps pretty sound. Let me get a pillow and a blanket and I'll get him moved so you can get up. Thank you so very much for taking care of him." 

Scott shook his head. "I was here when he went to sleep. I'll be here when he wakes up. I know I don’t like it when people leave while I’m asleep or unconscious." 

Those words meant more to her that she could possibly express. There had been so little predictability and stability in Alex's world especially with people. 

And his choice of words disturbed her to a degree that she hadn’t expected. Asleep and someone leaving was one thing. Unconscious? That was just…no. She wasn’t going there. 

She had brought both 'yoga mats' down stairs. She spread them out side by side near where they were laying. Scott shifted out from under Alex. He put them on top of each other. Gently he moved the sleeping boy to the pallet and covered him with a quilt. Slid one pillow under Alex's head and curled around him using the second pillow. 

She was touched more than she wanted to ... admit. This is what made her treasure some of the interactions with the Others. They taught Alex that there were people in the world that could be trusted. Granted not many but they did exist. 

Brigid took the second quilt and knelt to cover Scott. The weather was getting colder and it was chilly in the Bookstore with the door opening and closing so often. Before she thought about it, she carded her fingers through his dark curly hair. She froze wondering if she had transgressed. Just because he had been fine with Alex crawling all over him didn’t mean that the same access was granted to her. 

He seemed to understand. He closed his eyes and pushed into her touch like a dog wanting to be petted. She knelt there for a minute just carding her fingers through his hair. 

It wasn’t just tolerated. If she hesitated, he would shift toward her. He sought out the touch. He enjoyed it. She didn’t think that he fell asleep but he was certainly relaxed with a faint smile on his face. The funny thing about emotions? They were rarely simple. There were so many feelings that were bubbling up as she knelt there running her fingers through his hair. Questions that she never had found the answers to. Answers to questions she didn’t want to ask. 

She got up and went back to the counter. 

Chris watched her dealing with them. He walked over. "Is Scott being there a problem? He can be told to leave and stay away from Alex." 

Brigid looked at him surprised. There was a protective growl in that. Oh. Emotion. Yes. They picked up on strong emotions quickly and hers weren’t exactly calm and tranquil. "Alex isn't afraid of him." 

Both Chris and Allison looked at her. 

Damn, she was beginning to develop a deep dislike for that ‘you are speaking Human. Please stop.’ expression she got. "No you don't understand. Alex is very cautious around people he doesn't know. Much more so if they are male." 

Chris snorted "Scott is a puppy." 

Allison glared at him. 

Brigid watched her son and the young man with him. "Is he? Are you really that sure? I'm not." 

"What do you mean?" 

"Puppies don't think about anyone but themselves. What they need or want." 

"So?"

"Scott came because he has a crush on Allison. He stayed because he is being kind to a lonely little boy that... I don't think I want to go there. Parts of Alex’s life have been anything but kind or easy. Anyway, Scott was patient. He stayed on 'his' side of the door until Alex came to him. He allowed Alex to initiate the contact. He made the animals to give Alex something to play with and to give them something to do together. A way to play." 

"A playmate on his level." Chris muttered. 

There was a low growl from Allison. 

Brigid looked at Chris. "You are a smart man. Try acting like one." 

There were soft snorts of laughter from several directions. 

"Scott is having to work harder to find a level where he and Alex can play. How many Other's Alex's age will sit and make origami animals? Not play with them but make and color them? You don't have to give away any information but I don't imagine that there are many. I would imagine that they are much more physical than Alex is used to being. You have seen it. Alex's left side is weaker from the accident. Scott is having to adapt for that. He is really good with Alex. In my eyes that makes him a good and kind person. That's more than I can say for many people and some of them are in the store now." 

Chris glared at her and Brigid glared back. 

Chris snorted "Females." and walked off. 

Allison was looking at Scott and Alex with a confused expression on her face. "Scott is a simple person. Pretty much what you see is what you get." 

Brigid made a non-committal sound. 

The store was empty for the moment. Of Human customers. 

Allison turned her attention to Brigid. "You don't agree." 

"I think simplicity is deceptive. You can look at a pond and think that all it is ..water in a hole in the ground. If the wind isn't blowing then it is still and quiet. Do you have any idea just by looking how deep it is? What lies beneath its surface? It's actually pretty easy to posture and play tough. To show gentleness is a test of real strength. To give comfort to another not of your kind just because they need it is.... exceptional." Brigid walked away and left Allison to think. 

It also had the same effect on the Others that were listening. The woman in the next room was surprised. And touched. Brigid had come to her son's defense. She would remember that. Melissa went back to work.


	6. Conversation with Melissa

Brigid wanted to cry when the bite sized chocolate snacks appeared at the register. There were four containers. Four labeled containers. Chocolate would help. Since she didn't currently have a prescription for Valium. 

Allison caught on quickly about smile at the humans. Smile. NOT show teeth. There was a difference. Ask them if they found everything they were looking for. Don't glare if they told you "No." ASK them what they were interested in. Tell them where it was if the item was available in the store. If not, offer to order it for them. Allison evidently liked to read and had a good idea of what was located where. She was much more familiar with the store than Brigid was. That would have to change. . 

There was a brief snarl-fest between father and daughter about the ordering. Chris was busy getting the orders ready that had come in. He didn't want to stop what he was doing. Allison was determined to give 'good customer service'. The poor customer was torn between laughing hysterically and running. There was something...ironic... about how the words 'good customer service' sounded in a guttural snarl through clenched teeth. 

Chris threw the order catalog at her. Allison caught it easily with a triumphant snarl. The woman, who had bought the first two volumes that were in the store of a series and wanted the next two they did not have in, nearly wet herself. 

Allison did know how to find books in the catalog. She knew where the forms were to order. Brigid was amused to see the older human woman and the young Wolfgard working shoulder to shoulder to get the form filled out correctly. They were so very pleased with themselves when the finished. Allison announced "I will call you when it comes. Thank you for giving us money. Have a nice day." 

The woman looked ... floored... for a moment before she recovered with..."Thank you for ordering the books for me. You have a nice day too dear." 

"You should go and have some hot chocolate. Melissa makes very good chocolate. She has other good things. It would be a good place to spend more money...Brigid WHY are you waving at me? Do you need to go and pee?" 

Discretion was the better part of valor at this point. "Yes I do." 

"Go pee. I will do the cash register. I am getting very good at smile not snarl and taking money nicely." 

Brigid fled to the bathroom. The comment that the Others were brutally honest had been an understatement. 

It took her a few moments to pee and get herself back together. Maybe some role playing would help. It could all still go South quickly but there would be less witnesses. Maybe. There would be less Human witnesses. Maybe she should just say the hell with it. There was the entertainment factor of the totally unexpected to consider. They were Other. She wasn't trying to change them into Human. If there was one fact that should never ever be forgotten it was the fact that they were Other. 

Okay. She could do this. They would still role play. It would be interesting if nothing else. 

Allison showed no interest in giving up the cash register. "We have new books to put out. You can help the customers find the books BEFORE they come to check out and I have to stop and tell them where to go." She looked baffled at the snorts of laughter from the humans. "Brigid? Why are they laughing? I didn't make a joke. I remember that Other humor sometimes has a bite that humans don't like." 

"I'll explain later. It was inadvertent humor. You didn't mean to say anything funny but there are some things. I'm not actually sure how to explain that come to think of it. How about some times people, whether human or Other, are just weird and leave it at that." 

"But they laughed. All the humans laughed. At the same time. I just want to know why." There was very much a whine in the girl's voice. 

Two very brave souls tried to explain human related humor to a Wolfgard. Allison was happy that they bought chocolate bites for them and for her. It made a head-throbbing conversation about expectations and perceptions much more tolerable. They ate their chocolate bites together. About half an hour later Allison made the announcement... "It was subtle humor. Wolfgard doesn't do subtle that is why it was funny. If a Wolfgard told a Human ‘where to go’ there would be no hinting. Just snarls and teeth. Humans are weird." 

Brigid stepped around the corner and muffled her snickers the best she could. Wolfgard doesn't do subtle. Truer words were never spoken. 

Allison was learning though. About dealing with the Humans. 

As far as Brigid knew, Allison had never really been drafted to help out at the Bookstore. Not since it had been opened to the Humans. She might have helped her father take care of some of the orders and stocking in the past. 

She was learning how to deal with groups of people. She was amazingly good humored about the process. She had a kind of disconcerting cheer that was better than snarling. Most of the time. Humans were used to being snarled at. The cheerfulness was...unnerving. 

Brigid made a detour behind the counter to check on Scott and Alex. Someone had provided more pillows. Scott was propped up reading with Alex sprawled across his chest still sleeping. Alex seemed flushed. Brigid knelt to check his temperature. 

Scott asked "Does he need the blanket folded? How warm does he need to stay?" 

Brigid looked at Scott confused. Then she really looked. At the sweat that was dampening his hair. She forgot what she had promised herself about keeping her distance and brushed the hair away from his forehead with both hands. She felt his forehead then checked his pulse in his throat. "Are you feeling alright? Do you have a fever?" 

He looked at her in amusement. "I'm HOT." 

Her brain kicked in. Wolfgard. Their body temperature and other things tended to run much faster and warmer than Humans. She had him in what amounted to a sweat box under the quilt and Alex’s body. "And I'm an idiot. Here. Let me move him to the side. He will be just fine sleeping under one layer of the quilt. I folded it because he gets cold easy. I wasn't thinking about the fact that you would be under there with him." 

Scott eased the boy off of him and onto the mat. He moved off to the side. His chest was soaked with sweat. "He is going to need a new shirt when he wakes up. He's about as wet as I am."

Alex began to stir. He sat up groggily pushing the quilt aside. His hair where his face had been resting against Scott was wet. His shirt was clingy and damp with sweat. Alex pulled it away from him with a grimace of disgust. 

"Does he have another shirt?" Scott asked again. 

"Yes, I have a change of clothes in his bag." 

"Great. Come on Cubling. Let's go and get cleaned up. We live above the Cafe. I have a small movie player. We can find some movies to watch when we are clean and bring them back down here." Scott stood, picked up Alex's bag then scooped up Alex all with inhuman grace. Alex wrapped his arms around Scott's neck and seemed to be on the verge of going back to sleep. Scott walked to the Cafe' still talking to Alex about what kind of movies he liked. 

Brigid just watched them walk away. In total and complete disbelief. 

Chris and Allison looked at Brigid then each other. They might be able to scent the emotions pouring off of her but that didn’t help in the least. They had no categories for the flickering ribbons of scent. 

Melissa had come over when she heard Brigid asking if Scott had a fever. He had been somewhat of a fragile child for a Wolfgard with various respiratory problems but he had for the most part outgrown them. It was still habit from his childhood to worry though. Once she understood the cause of the ‘fever’ she found herself snickering. At first. Then she got close enough to tease Brigid about mistaking being hot for a fever. Till she got close enough to see and scent the other woman. 

Now she was concerned about Brigid. She was too...something. She looked at Chris who just shook his head. He might have dealt with her more often but this was beyond, not exactly his ability but, what he was comfortable with. She trusted him more than she did any male but that was still nothing to brag about. 

Melissa sat on the floor in front of Brigid. "Brigid? You look funny. Scott will bring him back down when they have showered. And found a movie. Scott will take care of him. You don't have to worry about Alex being out of your sight. They are going up the inside stairs. Alex will not be in the cold." 

There was no real response from Brigid. 

Melissa looked at Chris and Allison for suggestions. This had moved from being something simple to some pretty heavy and complex emotional reactions. She could figure that out but she had no idea what to do for it or about it. Chris shook his head that he had nothing to offer. 

"He didn't cry." The words....bothered the Others. It was something in the feelings under the words. So many different levels and layers of experience and emotions. All of them radiating deep, dark pain and anguish. From some unknown cause and with no enemy they could use fang and claw against. 

"Who didn't cry? Why would...why would Alex cry?" Melissa was even less sure of what was going on. 

"Scott just picked him up." Brigid seemed stunned. 

"Are you angry that Scott picked him up?" Melissa could sort of understand that. Scott was Other and Alex was Human. It seemed odd that Brigid should freak or get offended about that now but who knew what went on in a mother’s head sometimes when her young, vulnerable child was out of her protection. 

Even the most stable of mothers sometimes just got caught in an undertow of worry about their ability to keep their child safe. To provide and protect them and get them through the treacherous waters of childhood only to hit the rapids of adolescence. Then the vast uncharted ocean of trying to be an adult in an ever-changing world. Only the strong should have children. Or the very brave and stupid because it was something that the sane would question ever taking on. 

Brigid finally looked at Melissa. "I'm freaking stunned that he COULD pick Alex up and not have Alex have a major panic attack. You don't understand. Sometimes he freaks if I touch him from behind if he doesn't know that I'm there. I always try to approach him from the front or call his name so he won't be scared. I have never picked him up without some sort of ... I hold out my hands and ask 'up'? He reaches for me then I pick him up." 

"Scott didn't know. I am sorry." 

"No. No. No. Didn't you SEE? Alex was FINE with it. He didn't panic. He didn't stiffen up. He just kinda went ... OH ~ Okay it's you.... and went back to sleep."

Melissa's voice took on a deadly softness. "I think I am beginning to understand." 

Chris muttered “I’m glad someone does.” 

She looked at Chris and Allison. "It is only an hour before the Bookstore closes. Chris and Allison will finish the day. You and I will go upstairs and have some tea. I think you need some very strong tea." She gathered Brigid up and got her to her feet. 

"But..."

"We will have strong tea." 

Chris and Allison vacated the room and found somewhere else to be. 

If Brigid was going to try to argue with Melissa that she was fine and didn’t need tea or anything….she was on her own. She wouldn’t win. 

But they weren’t about to be any part of that battle. 

Melissa was in Protective Mother Wolf mode and Brigid just got demoted to cubling in need of comfort. It was better to willingly go along than be dragged back to the den by the scruff. Much more dignified. Less painful on the fur too. 

They were too busy to make eye-contact with Brigid. Allison was busy asking customers if they needed any help. Chris was very busy filling orders. 

Brigid was maneuvered out of the small room and through the Café toward the inner staircase that led to the upstairs living quarters on the third floor. 

As they passed through the kitchen of the Café, Melissa looked at the Magpies. “You can manage the rest on your own. When you do your usual routine make sure that you take something for both of you to eat. Send Sam upstairs to let me know that you are leaving if I haven’t already sent Scott down to finish up. Just finish up what you usually do and the boys will take care of the rest. Understood?”

Both dark heads nodded hastily. “Yes Ma’am.” 

“Good girls. If you need anything, call Chris. It’s only an hour till closing and you should be fine.”   
She escorted Brigid up the stairs to their apartment.

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Melissa sat Brigid at the kitchen table and started making tea. "Scott's father was killed protecting him."

That shocked Brigid out of her semi-catatonic state. "Oh. My. God. I'm so sorry." Brigid reached out to the other woman. 

Melissa took her hand. "I was lost and confused and hurting so very much. Jager was my everything. I didn't want to be alone. I was afraid to be alone. How would I take care of Scott on my own? I kind of careened from crisis to crisis, most of my own making, for about a year. Then, I chose a male just so we wouldn't be all alone. He was not... he was not what I hoped and thought he would be. He resented Scott. He tried to...eliminate... what he considered the competition for my attention." 

Brigid's hand clenched around Melissa's. 

"I dealt with him. Permanently." Melissa met Brigid's eyes and saw understanding and admiration. 

"I couldn't. I ran. I hid. My family has money but not as much as his has money and power. My family didn't want to interfere with our marriage. Doesn’t want to or is afraid to for some reason. Or they have been or are being paid off to ignore the situation. 

“Despite a good deal of really crappy sex, I never got pregnant. Then they handed me Alex not long after he was born. Alex is MINE just the same as if I were the one that carried him under my heart for nine months. He knows that he is the child of my heart rather than the child of my blood. I never kept that from him. His mother is my husband's mistress. 

“I have no freaking clue why the man didn’t marry her! She has always been there. Sometimes I resent the hell out of that but most of the time I am in a strange way grateful. That means I don’t have to deal with him. 

“But things are changing. 

“She wants us gone. She has been more and more obvious about it since the accident. I have been planning and planning but I just didn't know WHERE. I couldn't go to my family. I couldn't count on his family for support. I have no real friends. I'll do whatever it takes to be able to stay here and keep my son safe." 

"And we will help you. You are no longer alone." Melissa squeezed her hands gently. "Now the tea is ready. Wash your face and we will drink tea and talk while the cublings watch a movie."

"Is this going to be girl talk?" Scott's voice surprised Brigid. 

She turned to see him with Alex still draped over his shoulder. He was dressed in different clothes. Scott's hair was wet from his shower and he had on different jeans that had a hole in one knee. He was shirtless and barefoot. And Dear Mother Night. Her husband or truthfully? Anyone she’d ever dated NEVER looked like that with their shirts off. She hadn’t been aware that guys came with ‘those’ kind of ripples. She could feel the flush of embarrassment and a hint of some other emotion color her face. 

From the look of amusement on Scott’s face? He was finding humor rather than offence at her surprised situation. That was good. 

He moved into the room. "I'm thirsty and I don't think that he is going to be choosing a movie any time soon. He really is like a clingy little monkey." He winced as soon as the words came out of his mouth. 

Brigid knew that the Others referred to Humans as clever monkeys. She also knew Scott hadn't meant to be mean or derogative. She laughed softly. "He has always wanted his own puppy. I guess he has his own wolfie now." And that didn’t come out the way she had meant it.

Melissa snorted with laughter. After a second of shock, Scott joined her. He sat at the table and shifted Alex around till they were both comfortable. 

Brigid decided to try to say what she was actually thinking. . “You are good with him and you are also good FOR him. I’ve never seen him take to anyone the way that he takes to you. Thank you.”

Melissa poured a large cup of juice and put it in front of Scott. She poured tea for her and Brigid. 

Scott sat there thoughtfully. "Please write down Alex's father's name and the name of the woman." 

Brigid looked at him. He looked back at her calmly. She gave in first and asked. "Why?"

"I doubt that you carry a picture of him. With a name Stiles can get a photo of him. And the woman. We will know what he looks like." 

There was more going on that Brigid could understand. But she was not a stupid woman. 

There was what she had thought she would see in Scott’s eyes. The Wolfgard. 

Not the good-looking boy sitting next to you somewhere. Not the quiet guy that could be overlooked. 

She wondered if Allison had ever really looked into Scott’s eyes and saw what lay beneath? Brigid had quickly noticed that the young female Wolfgard was…oddly erratic. She didn’t know if it was because of her age and hormones? Or something particular to Allison? There were times when it was…disturbingly obvious. Like she was two different people. 

She would react to Brigid one way. Kind. Patient. Yes, a little bit like she considered Brigid an intelligent and well-loved pet. There had been fleeting moments when the two of them had looked each other in the eye for some reason. What looked back at them? Wasn’t the same as what they were. That was about the best way Brigid could get her head around…things. 

There was an element of kinship between the two of them. Allison didn’t respond to Brigid the same as she did the Humans that came to the Bookstore to shop. Not even the same as she reacted to the Magpies. That cool predatory patience that made them reluctant to approach. 

She was, as strange as it was to say, less patient than her father. Perhaps it was less tolerant. And that led Brigid to the thought that she wouldn’t have wanted to interact with Chris when he had been…younger. 

Great. Now she was even rambling in her head as well as out loud. She sipped her tea that Melissa had put before her and considered. Carefully. She wanted to stay in the Courtyard. It wasn’t just a place that she could work for really good money and then go back to the kind of life ‘outside’ the Courtyard. Where it seemed that the Humans she had interacted with…considered the ‘real’ world. 

She wanted to be accepted. She wanted her son to grow strong and grow up here. Surrounded by the kind of males that she hadn’t been able to find in her old life. 

Young men like Scott. Patient and tolerant. Even to the young woman that treated him like…maybe she shouldn’t follow down that line of thinking. She also needed to get along with her employer’s daughter. 

She did admit that she wasn’t impressed with Allison’s behavior in that area. Brigid thought that Allison was short-changing Scott. And didn’t realize how…nice…he was being about it. 

How much he gave over to her willingly. What could happen when he got tired of being pushed around. When he decided that he didn’t want to give anymore. 

He could and would kill to protect what he considered his. He was his mother’s son. And from what Melissa had mentioned…he was his father’s son as well. 

Melissa looked thoughtful then got a pad and pencil from the counter and put it in front of Brigid. 

There was a brief staring contest. Brigid didn’t want them to get involved with her family drama crap-fest. “There were friends once when I was first married that tried to help when it had all started going wrong. It didn’t go well for any of us. For some that weren’t as affluent as the family, it had cost them dearly. I don’t want that to happen to you and you to lose the Café or anything to happen to Scott.”

“Your family sounds like the type that plays games. Head games. Money games. I think that you are either forgetting or over-looking something.” Melissa leaned forward and met Brigid’s eyes. “They play at being the ‘big dog on the porch’. But Brigid. What about when the dog on the porch meets a Wolf in the woods? Or a pack of Wolves that are pissed about the way that one of their own has been treated? How long before a smart dog will turn tail and run? If they aren’t smart? Is that really your problem? Write down the names. They might just have enough brains between them all not to bother you in a Courtyard. There is the possibility for intelligence. What do you think their odds are?” 

Brigid winced. “That depends on the number of people involved, level of alcohol and posturing. Late evenings or weekends….not good odds.” 

She looked at Melissa who tapped a finger on the pad. “Alex.” 

“Well shit.” As a manipulation to get the names out of her that was superb. Asking and getting protection for herself..not so much. What she was willing to do and go through for Alex. Writing names on a piece of paper was nothing. 

Brigid wrote their names on the pad. And sighed about the odds of intelligence being the main factor when the family all met up and decided how to deal with the fact that she and Alex were no longer under their control. 

Scott looked at the names with a very faint smile. A smile that made Brigid realize that the young man gently cradling her son was a natural born predator. Kind of knowing it and seeing up close and personal even if it wasn’t directed toward her….it were still two different things. 

"I don't want any trouble. I am sure that they will...I am listed as Alex's mother on his birth certificate. We could just never go back. Disappear. He won't come near a Courtyard. Really." They looked about as convinced as she felt. 

Scott looked at his mother. They both scooted closer to Brigid. He put Alex in her lap and put his arms around them both. "I'm not going to start anything. It will be good to know what he looks like to keep him away from Alex. If he is seen in or around the Courtyard, then we will make sure that Alex will not be where he can see Alex. We will not start anything." 

Scott met his mother's eyes over Brigid's head. They wouldn't be the ones to start any trouble. They would be the ones to finish it. In a very final manner. 

Melissa kept her arms around Brigid as she coaxed the tea down the other woman. She kept up a flow of soothing nothings. 

The intensity in the air and emotion woke Alex. He willingly went back to Scott and curled against him. 

Scott pulled Brigid in close as Melissa got up to make something special for Alex. 

Scott held Alex and made sure that he drank his milk and honey with some Stiles additives that should sooth both body and nerves. 

“Scott needs to go downstairs and close up the Café. It’s his turn. We are going to get things ready for movie time. He is in charge of bringing up snacks and something for supper for us. We have to get everything else ready. I think that between us, we can manage it. Don’t the two of you?” Melissa offered her distraction as Scott shifted Alex back into Brigid’s lap. 

Scott made a note to himself to make sure that he sent something up as soon as he could make up some plates. They weren’t going to last that long. All of the emotion had worn them out. He doubted that they would get much past picking a movie much less watching it in its entirety.

♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥§♥

He walked into the kitchen and nodded at the Magpies. They immediately started their evening routine. They might have started a little early but it wasn’t like Scott really cared. They could either stay or close up as soon as the last customer left. It didn’t matter to him and it wouldn’t matter to his Mom either.

They took one look at him and finished their part of the closing routine in record time. It irritated him tonight. Most of the time he could sort of blow it off but tonight the side-eye looks they gave him jumped up and down on his nerves. He was more than ready for them to go. 

It was one of the things that he did appreciate about Brigid. She didn’t treat him like was on the verge of going on some sort of violent spree. She trusted that he was self-aware enough to KNOW when it just would not be a good idea to be around irritations. Especially those that walked on two legs and chattered about life in general and certain people in particular. Poor, put upon Magpies. How they had suffered and been mistreated. 

Today was a day that he was doing all he could to not give in to the urge to tell them what his Mom had used on him when he was a hormonal and irrational budding teen. “I’m about to GIVE you something to feel sorry for yourself over.” 

He might be a bit short and cranky with their whining today. He still had nothing on Chris! He had no idea what their problem was with him. 

Maybe some of what bothered the Magpies about him was the fact he was male. They didn’t like males.   
There had been days that he had even resorted to asking his Mom if he needed to take a quick shower from the looks on their faces when he got near them. It had been when he had been helping out more until they got their feet under them. His Mom might have given him a funny look but she had always said he was fine. 

They lived together. They were together. They had an apartment close to the Courtyard where such things didn't matter as much.   
He felt the shudder go down his back. There are individuals in this world that he NEVER wanted to contemplate viewing naked. They were in good conditioning. For Humans. But that … side of them. No. There was just…something… that had him connecting biting them with blood and pain instead of play or pleasure. Just. No. 

He certainly didn’t give a shit who they had sex with. He struggled with it more on some days. There was something that just whimpered ‘prey’ when he looked at them. All flash and feathers and chatter. 

He took a deep breath. It wasn’t a good time for them to be around. He started them gathering up and out the door and out of range of his nerves. 

He did make sure that they had food for tonight and something to snack on if the weather got even worse and they couldn’t come in till late tomorrow if they came in at all. He would prefer that they didn’t. He and his Mother had managed before they talked their way into working at the Café. They would be fine on their own…again. 

He could taste the blood as he cut his tongue on a fang as he stood there waiting. Literally biting his tongue to keep the snarling in. 

Fluttering around as they gathered their bags of crap. Sixteen layers to walk out to their vehicle had to be put on. He had no idea how they thought they were going to freeze to death for that short distance but they evidently found it a major concern. 

Then they had to take off enough to be able to drive the vehicle. Whichever one of them was finally going to get in the damn thing and drive. Finally he just yanked open the door to the driver’s side and there might have been a hint of snarl to his tone when he ‘suggested’ that they get “IN”. 

They scrambled in like rabbits and flailed around. The doors were locked and he was done. If someone got them out of a locked vehicle… well, he would watch from the doorway until they finally cranked up and left. Oh. Thank. Mother. Night! 

He gave a sigh of relief when they were gone. He thought that they might have done the same. He had tried but he just couldn’t bring himself to really LIKE the Magpies. Tolerate was the best he could do. 

Tonight his tolerance was wearing startlingly thin. They knew it. And they were as much afraid as Brigid and Alex hadn’t been even when they were in the circle of his grasp. No. Tonight was just not his best night with the Magpies. Stiles would be back soon. He would get them a suck-up-I’m-sorry-you-are-such-chickens present to make up for snarling. At least, he hadn’t smelled pee when he snarled. They were improving. 

He fixed heaping plates for everyone upstairs including himself and put them in a carry bag. The Café was empty so he went ahead and locked the front door. The Magpies were gone and no customers. The Café was closed. If you wanted to eat, you should have been here earlier not just before closing time. 

He took the carry bag upstairs and set it just inside the door of their place and came back down the stairs to finish up shutting everything down. He had helped out enough that he could do his part in his sleep. Sometimes he felt like he had. 

Sam howled the ‘get your shit and get’ warning for the Bookstore. 

He took care of the register and squared things away till Chris and Company could come and fix their plates. They would clean up after themselves or answer to Melissa later. He made sure that they understood that it wasn’t his part to clean up after them. He was done. 

On to other things. He called Stiles. "Come over and bring your snooping skills. I have some names for you to look up. Come on and I have something that you don't have to prepare to eat. Plan on spending the night. You can spend the night in my room which is bigger than that closet that you are living in." 

"Okay. That sounds ominous. Problem? And I like my closet." 

"Not for us. And bullshit. Teyla could do better for you and by you than that crappy little room. You are a trained Black Widow. I’m just a teenager with no special talents and I have more space." 

"Yeah. Right. That makes me feel so much better. I'll be there as soon as I can. Scott? Please lay off my closet. And Teyla. She’s doing the best she can. Things are just…crappy. Sometimes that’s just the way it is."


	7. Plans With Scott and Stiles

Scott heard the knock on the back door of The Cafe' that signified that it was Stiles. He went and opened the door and helped Stiles drag all of the shit that he thought that he needed to spend the night inside then secured the building. They just piled his crap by the back door. 

The others had made their plates and gone back to eat at the Bookstore or their places after a through clean of the Café kitchen. Interesting just how through it was today. Evidently his grip on things might be slipping more than he realized if he got that kind of results from that bunch. 

He led Stiles over to the small table that was located out of the way in the rear part of the kitchen. He’d already pulled some things out for Stiles to eat and had them warmed up as he was waiting for the other male to arrive. He picked the things that he knew Stiles enjoyed the most. Something to take the taste of some bitter feelings out of his mouth. Sometimes getting through the day was it’s on reward. Not to mention the week. 

He looked over at Stiles inhaling the contents of his plate. "Did you eat today?"

"Yes mother. I ate today." 

"When did you eat and what did you eat?"

Stiles looked at Scott in disbelief. "What is going on? You haven't been this pack mother in a long time. Yes, I have waited too long to eat and I am hungry but I'm fine."

Scott let it go. He would just make sure to drag Stiles over in the evenings or just take him a plate to make sure he ate. 

He had been a rather shitty friend lately. It was like a sudden moment of clarity that made him wonder not if but how much he was losing his grip on shit. 

Maybe certain individuals were right. He wasn’t all that bright. He didn’t consider himself stupid…exactly. But he was honest enough to admit that he struggled sometimes. Thoughts, feelings and perceptions about how life was and how it should be… They seemed to have a map that he must have either not been given or lost at some point. 

Life was a maze that he had been dumped in the middle of and some force had stolen his sense of direction. He was lost and caught up in the chaos. Sucked up or maybe it would be sucked under slowly. By inches. So subtle that he hadn’t noticed till he got a good look at Stiles’ face and noticed the… growing Darkness in his eyes. How he HAD lost weight. 

Scott thought on how he had been caught up in Allison and their semi-sort-of-romance. He liked her well enough. Then sat blinking in surprise at his own mental comment. ‘He liked her… well enough.’

And wasn’t that just telling. It was a liking. There was no hunger for her company. And maybe he should just take note of the fact that there was NO hunger for her. At all. Huh. That didn’t mesh with what he knew of his own nature. There WAS something going on. But it was nothing that he could ‘fix’ right this minute. So he was going to work on what he could do. 

Help someone else that was going through some rough weather. Even if it was being no more than what some individuals claimed he was. A strong back and a not so bright mind. He was still Wolfgard. His father’s son. He could take the punishment and would if it protected those that he cared about. And the new people in his life that he sensed would matter to him. 

With that in mind, he started bringing Stiles into the planning. That beautiful, dangerous, Twisted Kingdom mind that tended to go in directions that… Yeah. Planning with Stiles was always fascinating. 

“It’s one of those days.” Scott started to explain and looked over into Stiles’ amber eyes. There was knowledge, sadness, love and acceptance. And no need for him to have to say another word. Stiles already understood how those words affected…most everything. 

Briefly, Scott wondered WHY he was neglecting someone that was that…special…to chase after a person that tended to be impatient with him when days were hard. One more thing to shove into the ‘What The Fuck’ box and deal with later. He needed to focus. Because he was evidently shit at staying on the trail at the moment. 

He let himself be caught in amber and filled Stiles in on what he knew. “I have some shit that needs your special touch. I’m just now realizing more so than I first thought. Right this second? We’re kind of tracking back from where we are to the start of the…chase. I guess. Anyway. 

“Flame-hair’s real name is Brigid. Cubling is Alex. They are going to be staying here. Working in the Bookstore. Her Family by blood and marriage? Are…shitty luck and a crappy choice by someone. They’re tainted. I have information and when you finally get full? See what you can find on them. If they come snooping around to find Brigid and Alex?” Scott kept eye-contact with Stiles. They both knew the results of that kind of…action. ‘Special Meat’ would be available. 

Stiles held up his hand. “I don’t need the details right now. I want to see what catches my attention then you can fill in any gaps of what you saw and know. Let me see what comes up when I start looking into the situation. I believe you. I’m with you.” He finished off his plate. “I’m ready. Hand me the names.” 

Scott handed them over and then took Stiles’ plate. He tidied up and then decided to make Stiles something sweet to take the bitter taste out of his mouth of one more problem to deal with. 

Scott wasn’t the cook that his mother was. But he wasn’t bad either. He put his mind on autopilot as he worked on something that he thought Stiles would enjoy. 

So many things were fighting for dominance in his brain. He just let them roll through and then dismissed them. If he tried to herd them in any one direction? They just bolted and scattered on him that much more. Horns, hooves and pending pain. He was experienced enough at hunting that he wasn’t going to go down that trail. Time to be an ambush hunter. 

Scott knew that Stiles hadn't interacted with Brigid and Alex much. Stiles had heard about them from Chris and Melissa but he hadn’t had that many face to face meetings with them in the year that they had been hiding at the Courtyard. 

Most of the times it was Melissa going over and picking Stiles’ brain and coming back with various teas and things for them to try. 

It wasn’t that much of an unusual situation. Stiles spent most of his waking time and some napping time in the Herb Store. It depended on how soon it was after an plague-of-locust visit by the Venefica he had just experienced. 

They would take what they wanted from the inventory because they were the ‘enlightened and chosen’ and he owed them. Or someone did. 

Teyla had fought more once but she had kind of lost the will to battle it out these past months if not the last year or so. Who was he kidding? Soon after Stiles’ mother had died the women or maybe just the leadership of what had been called a Coven of Witches had taken a step off the Path they had been following. Once they had changed what they were called? What that group was today? Isn’t anything that Stiles’ mother would willingly join and it would give a whole new meaning to ‘sharp-toothed tolerance’. 

Present. He needed to not wander down old trails through the Wasteland. Flame Hair. Scott had been around and been drafted into helping his mother at the Café before the Magpies, that he knew Brigid and Alex by sight. They had come to the Café to eat but they spent most of their time in the Bookstore in their corner. It wasn’t like anyone else was in the Children’s Corner. It had been known as Alex’s Corner for some time. 

Stiles was isolated to a great degree working at the Herb Store. 

Scott was suddenly wondering just how isolated Stiles had been. Way the fuck too much even if it was just partially the amount he was thinking. 

The Herb Store… wasn’t a social gathering place. 

Very, very few Humans went there. In fact, Scott was doubtful that there had been more than a handful if that that had passed through the doorway. Ever. It wasn’t an inviting place. 

It had gotten to the point that, with the Venefica being in and out, the Others didn’t even care to go there. 

They would go when Stiles was there. But only if they couldn’t catch him out somewhere or call him on the phone to get what they needed. There were things that just couldn’t be handled over the phone. 

Scott shook himself. His attention and thoughts were wandering. That had been happening more and more lately. Sucked to be him sometimes. Here and now. Stiles and Brigid would like each other. They were both snarky. And smart. But mainly snarky. 

Stiles would really like Alex. He had been so excited when his father had remarried the Wolfgard woman and she had been pregnant. He was looking forward to being a big brother more than anything. 

When his father and new family had moved away from Beacon Hills, Stiles had hounded his father for news and pictures. It meant the world to Stiles. Family was everything to him. Stiles missed the baby brother he never really got to know despite all of his efforts. The baby girl that he knew even less just tore at him. He loved children. 

Scott was counting on that. Stiles had a strong protective drive. He had been on the receiving end of enough bullying that he didn't appreciate it. Even more so for a woman and small child who were all alone and vulnerable. Stiles had also grown and changed into someone who could and would do something about a person being bullied. 

A quiet growl from Stiles was almost perfectly timed with the dessert Scott had been working on. He served some up and brought it over to the table for Stiles. Who looked like he was about to start drooling. The first bite had him making pleasure noises. “Mother Night yes. I’ve missed your cooking.” He took a couple more bites before he turned his attention to what he was able to find. 

“He’s an asshole from a family that specializes in assholeishness. She is just a bitch and that just insults every canine female ever born. Let’s move that to piece of shit. They are users and don’t care about much of anyone but themselves. Such lovely people. Little petty offences. Probably more but I would think that money or favors changed hands. That’s not going to work if they are stupid enough to… They would most likely hesitate to risk their pretty skin. They will probably hire someone.” 

Stiles opened another program. “I’ll create a flyer to pass around.” It took him no time till he was sending it to the printer to make copies to share. 

Stiles looked at Scott with a thoughtful frown. "You do realize that you need to have them IN the Courtyard for whatever that it is you are planning to work. Where Human Law Does Not Apply. What makes you think that he isn't just going to let her go?"

"If she could have just taken Alex and left, she would have. Her family wouldn't have hesitated to get involved. The very fact that they wanted no part of it means that the guy is an ass. But one with connections. He probably considers them property. He might not want them but he isn't going to want to let anyone else have them either. I would say it was money or power or both. That’s the Human’s greatest loves."

Stiles munched his food. "You are probably right. He has to have someone to feel superior to. They were easy prey. Were being the operative word." 

"So how was the visit to your Dad? I'm glad that you got to go but I'm really glad that you are back. I really missed having you around to get me in trouble."

"It was fine." 

Scott waited. Nothing more was forthcoming. "I don't think so. That would have opened up about an hour’s worth of dialogue if things had been fine. And pictures. And verbatim quotes of cuteness. Now tell me how it really went." 

"She is pregnant again. The oldest boy is four ‘almost five’ which he mentioned hourly. The little girl is two ‘almost five’ and has no concept of counting. They are a happy family. My dad is happy which is all that I really care about."

Scott made a rude sound. "But you do care and it does bother you and I can keep asking all night long if I have to. So what happened or didn't happen." 

Stiles suddenly put his food down. All the pent up emotion came pouring out. "There is no place for me in the life that they have now. She isn't old enough to have a 19 year old son. She certainly is not happy that said step-son is a natural born Black Widow whose command of the Craft is stronger than hers. It is like she is afraid that I will taint HER children. It doesn't matter to her that they are MY brothers and sisters. In her eyes they have nothing to do with me. I have nothing of my father in me to her way of thinking. The Black Widow must have come from my mother's side." 

Stiles got up. His voice began to rise with his emotions. "What the fuck does she think I AM? What does she think that I am going to do to them? Even if they weren't my brother and sister, they are freaking children. Children!! What kind of ... monster does she think I am!?" 

Stiles eyes filled with tears. "Why doesn't my Dad say something? He is one of the most observant people I know. How can he not see how she physically keeps us apart? The way she doesn't want me to touch them or them to touch me. She wanted me to wear captive gloves on my hands. Seriously? Does she have NO freaking clue just how much of an insult that was? It wouldn't matter worth shit that she had married my father and had borne him children if it came out that she had mentioned that. I would have been within my rights to... never mind. Just never fucking mind.

The most pathetic thing? I had been thinking about it. Not captive gloves but training gloves. I'm an only child. I've never really been around children that young. They are small and freaky. They dart at you. Throw themselves off of things and expect you to catch them. Lunge at you to be picked up. It reminded me of being attacked by those small Chichi dogs. It was nerve racking. I was going to get a pair and wear them while I was around them so I wouldn't accidently cut them as they launched themselves off of something at me."

Scott's jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. I would have worn gloves for my nerves but she had to be such a shit about it."

"Forget the gloves, they launch themselves at you? Chichi dogs? Your mother and mine would have taken turns beating manners into us and the stupid out if we had done something like that."

"It's different. She is different. She isn't Mother. She isn't anything like my mother. Honestly, Dad isn't like the same person either. I don't really know the man anymore. He's not the father that raised me. I'm not going to cut him off and say I am never going back. But there is really no place for me at their table. I need to accept it and deal with it. I guess my family or what was left of it died when Teyla took me in. I became a Black Widow freak instead of a son." 

A sudden sharp noise had Stiles spinning around defensively. Palms and black-tinted nails oriented on the source of the noise. 

The small boy facing him clapped his hands together again. Then he began making a series of gestures. 

"Stiles doesn't sign. We will learn but right now we don't know what you are saying. He has really, really good hearing. He can also read lips. Maybe if you whispered your questions to him he could answer them. Would you like to try?" Scott slid out of the chair and sat on the floor. "Sit Stiles." 

"What am I a freaking dog?" Stiles sat. 

"Any words that you don't know that come out of Stiles' mouth you need to talk to your Mom or my Mom about before you use them around other people. He has potty mouth." 

Stiles expressive face when through a series of contortions that were difficult to tie into any particular emotion. Offended was surely in there as a matter of course. The others weren't as easy to label. 

Alex nodded and made some gestures. 

"Do you want to whisper to Stiles or would you rather whisper to me?"

The small finger pointing to Scott was pretty clear as sign language went. Alex cautiously went around Stiles and went over to press against Scott's shoulder. Alex may have been almost-five but he didn't have whispering down yet. His hands cupped around Scott's ear as he spoke meant, that he was whispering. "What's a Black Widow?" 

Stiles started at the sound of the damaged voice. 

"A Black Widow can use Craft which is kind of like magic. They are very, very good with herbs and healing things."

"Then why would she be scared of him? Why would he have to wear gloves? Are his hands always shiver cold?" 

Scott snorted with laughter. He then had to cuddle one slightly offended little boy close because Alex didn't understand the irony and thought that Scott was laughing at him. "It's funny that he has to wear gloves because his hands never get shiver cold. He has long fingernails. All Black Widows have them. It is a way that you know they are Black Widows." 

Alex just looked more confused. "Why gloves?"

"Because she is a silly female that thinks Stiles is a still needs diapers boy." Both Alex and Stiles looked at Scott like he had lost what tiny mind he possessed. 

"WHAT?" Stile's tenor almost hit the soprano range. 

"Come here Stiles and show Alex your hands." 

Throwing said hands up Stiles started to stand then thought better of it from the slight flinch from Alex. Instead he crawled over on his hands and knees. Thinking it would make him seem smaller and less predatory than standing up and towering over the boy. It didn't. 

Alex didn't flinch as Stiles glided to him but then he also hadn't flinched when a full-grown Wolf had prowled toward him in the Bookstore. There wasn't that much difference in the grace of their moments. 

"Is he a wolf too?"

"No Stiles' other shape isn't Wolf." 

"He moves pretty." 

Scott snickered. Stiles seemed torn between amusement and... not knowing what to make of the child before him.

"Say thank you Stiles." Scott prompted.

"Thank you Stiles." Got a grin out of the little boy. 

"Show him your hands Stiles." 

Stiles offered Alex his left hand. The nails were darkly tinted and sharp. Stiles had blunted his nails with Craft the best he could but he could still do an incredible amount of damage. Scott pulled Stiles sharply making him lose his balance and crash into Scott. 

Scott moved Alex to his lap with the child's back to his chest. He cradled Stiles' hand in his. 

Alex took Stiles’ hand and examined the slender, long-fingered hand. "His Momma lets him paint his nails? Father says only... Father is a potty mouth too. If big boy Stiles can paint his nails can I paint mine? I like blue." He looked at Stiles "do you have blue polish?" 

It was rare that Stiles was speechless. It didn't last long either. "I don't have any on me. I can bring you some." 

Scott rolled his eyes. "Look. Examine his nails again." 

Alex looked confused but took Stiles hand and brought the nails closer to his face. He touched and turned Stiles' hand. He licked the nail on Stiles' index finger. 

Stiles' jaw dropped slightly when Alex chewed on his nail. "No. No. No. No nail-biting mine or yours. It's not a good thing to do."

"It doesn't come off. The color doesn't come off and they are really HARD." Alex was so proud of himself for figuring that out. 

Melissa and Brigid almost fell over trying to hold in the laughter. Scott had heard them following Alex when they realized where he was heading. Stiles had been the only one that was unaware. That in and of itself told Scott how upset Stiles was over the whole crapfest. 

"No the color is natural. It is part of letting people know that he is a Black Widow." Scott watched Alex. The boy wasn't so much biting as he was gently chewing on Stiles' nail. His eyes were closing slightly. He seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep. 

"Is he teething or something? He's old enough he shouldn't need suckie." Stiles eased his finger out of Alex's mouth which took on an adorable pout. 

Then what Stiles said seemed to register and Alex lost the pout and drew back. "Big boys don't suck their thumbs. It's a rule. You break the rule and you get swats." 

"One of your father's rules?" Scott's voice was dangerously gentle. Alex only seemed to be picking up on the gentle part. 

"Yes Sir." 

"Father is an A-S-S-H-O-L-E." Stiles contributed.

Alex looked confused. "Don't spell anything that Stiles spells without checking with the Moms?"

"Probably a good idea."

"What if I want him to help me write a book? He's funny." 

Brigid spoke from the doorway. "Stiles won't put any potty words in any books that the two of you write. Isn't that correct Stiles?"

"Yes Ma'am." Stiles made a face at Scott that said clearly "What The Fuck?"

"Momma?"

"Yes Alex." 

"What about potty face?"

Stiles let out an offended huff.

"If you can move your face like Stiles can move his I will be impressed instead of angry." 

Stiles looked at Scott. "Ouch. Burn."

"No!!! Where? Who burned Stiles? Momma. Momma. Stiles burned. Stiles burned Momma!" There was an element of fear and hysteria in Alex's voice. He stood in Scott's lap and immediately began patting Stiles down looking for the burn while calling for his Momma.

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Chill out Cubling. It's an expression. He didn't mean he was actually burned. He's fine." Scott quickly shifted his nuts out of the way of Alex's feet. 

"It's like a game of 'I'm gonna get you' but with words." Scott's explanation didn't help. Alex teared up. 

"NO. Gonna get you is bad. Gonna get you is mean. Gonna get you means hide." 

Stiles pulled Alex to him and wadded him up firmly against his chest. "Your father was an asshole that had no idea of how to play. Sorry. Sometimes you get Daddy's that are cool. Sometimes you get Fathers that are asswipes. You had a Father. You are done with him. We will find you a Daddy who will know how to do all sorts of things Momma's don't get because they're girls. Sorry but there it is. BUT till we find you a cool Daddy you get Scott and me. Brothers. We will teach you how to do boy stuff that is cool and the stuff that is just going to make the Moms lose their shit." 

Alex reached up and gently patted Stiles’ mouth. "Are your lips so red because of all the soap?" 

Brigid started laughing first. The others weren't far behind.


	8. Sleepover Suggestion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so short I just threw it in. I didn't want to change my numbering on the whole rest of the piece.

Brigid watched the two young males as they sat on the floor of the Cafe' and gently played with Alex.

Stiles was blowing against Alex's skin saying he was going to give him potty mouth germs. Alex was bewildered at first but quickly started giggling. Scott was urging Alex to blow on Stiles and give him the germs back.

It was amazing to watch them play with her son. They were careful and amazingly gentle. It was not how she would imagine that they would play with one of their own. Not in the least. They were having to be creative and were learning quickly.

She was more than willing to deal with potty mouth if it meant that her son now had two lethal creatures that considered him theirs. She, unlike her son, had heard of Black Widows.

She remembered the words from an old book.

_Black Widows are known foremost for their ability to see visions. They do this by constructing Tangled Webs, through which they see both symbolic and actual images of the future which they must then interpret. They are also proficient with poisons and illusions. In addition, they have a poisonous snake tooth under the nail of the ring finger on their right hand. The power of the venom is in proportion to the power of the witch, and it has to be milked regularly, or the venom will crystallize and cause pain._

__

__

_The hourglass was the Black Widows' symbol, both a declaration and a warning about the witch who wore it. An apprentice wore a pendant with the gold dust sealed in the top half of the glass. A journey maid’s pendant had the gold dust evenly divided between top and bottom. A fully trained Black Widow wore an hourglass with all the gold dust in the bottom chamber._

Brigid thought that she wouldn't be surprised to see that Stiles' hourglass was at the least at Journey man status. She thought it more likely that the young man cradling her son was a fully trained Black Widow. It was also why he gave Alex his left hand rather than his right. 

He, like Scott, seemed to be an amazingly caring young man. Not only to those of his kind but those that would ordinarily considered weak and prey. She was grateful. 

She could have never predicted this when they had crept out of the house that morning. Not to be given a job. Not to be taken in and given a place to live. Not to have people intent on taking care of her son. Taking care of him in a way she would never be able to despite how much she would do and risk for him.

The Courtyard was totally not what she had been lead to believe it was. It was much more. More dangerous. More safe. More like the home that she had been searching for a very long time. Was she right to trust and believe in the Others? Was she wrong? Making a mistake? With her life was one thing but what if she was making a mistake with Alex's? Was she stupid? Too trusting? Time to move away from such depressing thoughts.

Brigid spoke up. "I believe that there was the mention of watching movies earlier?"

Alex brightened up from his place in Stiles' arms. "Movies. You said watch movies." His voice was growing fainter and raspier.

Scott and Stiles exchanged a glance. They didn't know if having the boy talk was a good thing or a bad thing. Were they helping or was it going to make the situation worse? They or Scott knew he had been in an accident. He had no real idea of the damage done. The boy was weaker than he should be on one side. That was one thing that he had been intending to talk to Stiles about. Time to get some use out of all that training that Stiles had been put through.

In the meantime, he had a little boy that needed to start settling down. He could see the fatigue creeping in the fragile body and the expressive eyes. "You go on up Alex. Momma will show you were the movies are. You can pick one. Stiles and I will get his stuff upstairs. Once we get that done we can watch the movie. So can you take care of the movie part?"

Alex nodded eager to help. "I can carry some."

Stiles rose with disturbing ease and grace even with the weight of a small boy in his arms to his feet and carried Alex over to his things. "I didn't know Scott had company; I brought enough for the weekend. I hate dragging shit..uh..stuff back and forth. Plus I have been gone for awhile and I experimented with some new things and ideas that I was going to try out on Scott. That’s another reason there is so much crap. Uh..stuff..things. Oh fuck. I mean fudge. Here, you can carry this bag."

Alex’s eyes were very large as he took in that rambling rant. He blinked at Stiles as if he had been drenched in the waterfall of words. Carefully he reached out and took the bag. "Sleepover? Some of the cousins had sleepovers. I wasn't invited. Could..." He stopped and seemed to shrink.

Stiles knelt and put the fingers that he had curled into a loose fist under Alex's chin and nudged it upward. "Sleep over? What is a sleep over? It sounds like it might be fun."

"You all sleep in someone's bedroom. If there are many people then you make pallets on the floor. You watch movies, eat popcorn. You tell stories. But..."

"I'm listening."

"I don't like the scary stories in the dark."

"Good. I don't either. We will not have those for our sleep over."

Alex suddenly moved forward to hug Stiles. "I like having you for a brother." He let go and happily clutched the small bag closer and started making his way up the stairs. One stair at a time with a good grip on the rail. It was a matter of serious concentration.

Melissa grabbed a bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I'll go with you and we can see if I have popcorn. We can be in charge of the treats. We will pick the movie but it might have to wait. We need to find snacks. Are you a good snack finder? I bet you are."

"I'm good at finding things to eat when I'm hungry. I'm even better than Momma at going to the kitchen when there is no one there and finding things that no one will care that we take."

Brigid flinched. She looked at Scott and Stiles. Ashamed.

Scott's voice was soft. "You have done good then to start to teach him to hunt and to be stealthy. It will serve him well."

"So. Sleep over. This should be fun. Here, you can carry this one. We will get the rest. Go. We will look and make sure everything is closed and then we will be up." Stiles handed her another small bag and motioned her toward the stairs. He watched her trail along behind Alex and Melissa.

She didn't see the look on his face as he watched her. 

She didn't but Scott did. 

There was some payback coming that was filled with Darkness and aimed at the people that had reduced a kind and loving woman and a child to having to steal food in their own ‘home’. 

The thing about Black Widows that most people forgot? They were planners. And could be very, very patient. Till just the right moment that the prey had been lured deep into their web. Mercy is a foreign concept to a Black Widow.


End file.
